House File 2031 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2031
BY STOLTENBERG, CISNEROS,
OSMUNDSON, DETERMANN,
SHERMAN, HAYES, HENDERSON,
KNIFF MCCULLA, GOLDING,
FISHER, and DIEKEN
A BILL FOR
1 An Act incorporating provisions related to pregnancy and
2 fetal development into the human growth and development and
3 health curriculum provided by school districts, accredited
4 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone
5 schools to students enrolled in grades one through twelve.
6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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H.F. 2031
1 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2024,
2 are amended to read as follows:
3 3. The following areas shall be taught in grades one through
4 six: English-language arts, social studies, mathematics,
5 science, health, physical education, traffic safety, music,
6 visual art, and, subject to section 279.80, age-appropriate and
7 research-based human growth and development. Computer science
8 instruction incorporating the standards established under
9 section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (4),
10 shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with
11 the school year beginning July 1, 2023. The health curriculum
12 shall include the characteristics of communicable diseases.
13 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt
14 curriculum definitions for implementing the elementary program.
15 The human growth and development curriculum shall include all
16 of the following:
17 a. Human biology related to pregnancy.
18 b. Human development inside the womb.
19 c. A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three
20 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain,
21 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal
22 development.
23 d. A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or
24 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed
25 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and
26 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting
27 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for
28 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth.
29 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and
30 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics;
31 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human
32 growth and development; career exploration and development;
33 physical education; music; and visual art. Computer science
34 instruction incorporating the standards established under
35 section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (4),
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H.F. 2031
1 shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with
2 the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration
3 and development shall be designed so that students are
4 appropriately prepared to create an individual career
5 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61, incorporate
6 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned
7 with the six career and technical education service areas as
8 defined in subsection 5, paragraph “h”, incorporate relevant
9 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness,
10 and introduce students to career opportunities within the
11 local community and across this state. The health curriculum
12 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information
13 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases.
14 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt
15 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades
16 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to
17 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic
18 schools. The human growth and development curriculum shall
19 include all of the following:
20 a. Human biology related to pregnancy.
21 b. Human development inside the womb.
22 c. A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three
23 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain,
24 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal
25 development.
26 d. A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or
27 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed
28 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and
29 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting
30 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for
31 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth.
32 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph j,
33 subparagraph (1), Code 2024, is amended to read as follows:
34 (1) One unit of health education which may include personal
35 health; food and nutrition; environmental health; safety and
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1 survival skills; consumer health; family life; age-appropriate
2 and research-based human growth and development; substance
3 use disorder and nonuse; emotional and social health; health
4 resources; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and prevention
5 and control of disease, including age-appropriate and
6 research-based information regarding sexually transmitted
7 diseases. The health education curriculum shall include all
8 of the following:
9 (a) Human biology related to pregnancy.
10 (b) Human development inside the womb.
11 (c) A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three
12 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain,
13 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal
14 development.
15 (d) A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or
16 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed
17 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and
18 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting
19 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for
20 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth.
21 Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code
22 2024, is amended to read as follows:
23 g. Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section
24 256.7, subsection 21, and the educational standards of section
25 256.11, unless specifically waived by the state board during
26 the application process; provided, however, that the state
27 board shall not waive the educational standards of section
28 256.11 relating to the human growth and development curriculum
29 for grades one through eight or the health curriculum for
30 grades nine through twelve.
31 Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended
32 by adding the following new paragraph:
33 NEW PARAGRAPH. p. Be subject to and comply with the
34 requirements of section 256.11 relating to the human growth and
35 development curriculum for grades one through eight and the
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H.F. 2031
1 health curriculum for grades nine through twelve.
2 EXPLANATION
3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
4 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
5 This bill incorporates provisions related to pregnancy and
6 fetal development into the human growth and development and
7 health curriculum provided by school districts, accredited
8 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools
9 to students enrolled in grades 1 through 12.
10 The bill requires that the human growth and development
11 curriculum provided by school districts, nonpublic schools,
12 charter schools, and innovation zone schools in grades 1
13 through 8, and the health curriculum in grades 9 through
14 12, include instruction regarding human biology related to
15 pregnancy and human development inside the womb. The bill
16 also requires that such curriculum include a video, at least
17 three minutes in duration, showing the development of the
18 brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal
19 development, and a rendering or animation, comparable to the
20 meet baby Olivia video developed by live action, showing the
21 process of fertilization and every stage of human development
22 inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth
23 and organ development for every significant marker of pregnancy
24 until birth.
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Statutes affected: Introduced: 256.11, 256E.7, 256.7