Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

House File 2617 - Introduced
                                  HOUSE FILE 2617
                                  BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                                  (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2031)
                            A BILL FOR
An Act incorporating provisions related to pregnancy and
  fetal development into the human growth and development and
  health curriculum provided by school districts, accredited
  nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone
  schools to students enrolled in grades seven through twelve.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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                                H.F. 2617
    Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 4, Code 2024, is
 amended to read as follows:
    4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and
 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics;
 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human
 growth and development; career exploration and development;
 physical education; music; and visual art. Computer science
 instruction incorporating the standards established under
 section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (4),
 shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with
 the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration
 and development shall be designed so that students are
 appropriately prepared to create an individual career
 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61, incorporate
 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned
 with the six career and technical education service areas as
 defined in subsection 5, paragraph “h”, incorporate relevant
 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness,
 and introduce students to career opportunities within the
 local community and across this state. The health curriculum
 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information
 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases.
 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt
 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades
 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to
 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic
 schools. The human growth and development curriculum shall
 include all of the following:
    a. Human biology related to pregnancy.
    b. Human development inside the womb.
    c. A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three
 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain,
 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal
 development.
    d. A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or
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                                H.F. 2617
 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed
 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and
 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting
 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for
 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth.
    Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph j,
 subparagraph (1), Code 2024, is amended to read as follows:
    (1) One unit of health education which may include personal
 health; food and nutrition; environmental health; safety and
 survival skills; consumer health; family life; age-appropriate
 and research-based human growth and development; substance
 use disorder and nonuse; emotional and social health; health
 resources; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and prevention
 and control of disease, including age-appropriate and
 research-based information regarding sexually transmitted
 diseases. The health education curriculum shall include all
 of the following:
    (a) Human biology related to pregnancy.
    (b) Human development inside the womb.
    (c) A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three
 minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain,
 heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal
 development.
    (d) A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or
 animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed
 by live action, showing the process of fertilization and
 every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting
 significant markers in cell growth and organ development for
 every significant marker of pregnancy until birth.
    Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code
 2024, is amended to read as follows:
    g. Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section
 256.7, subsection 21, and the educational standards of section
 256.11, unless specifically waived by the state board during
 the application process; provided, however, that the state
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                                        H.F. 2617
 board shall not waive the educational standards of section
 256.11 relating to the human growth and development curriculum
 for grades seven and eight or the health curriculum for grades
 nine through twelve.
    Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended
 by adding the following new paragraph:
    NEW PARAGRAPH. p. Be subject to and comply with the
 requirements of section 256.11 relating to the human growth
 and development curriculum for grades seven and eight and the
 health curriculum for grades nine through twelve.
                           EXPLANATION
         The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
          the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
    This bill incorporates provisions related to pregnancy and
 fetal development into the human growth and development and
 health curriculum provided by school districts, accredited
 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools
 to students enrolled in grades 7 through 12.
    The bill requires that the human growth and development
 curriculum provided by school districts, nonpublic schools,
 charter schools, and innovation zone schools in grades 7 and
 8, and the health curriculum in grades 9 through 12, include
 instruction regarding human biology related to pregnancy and
 human development inside the womb. The bill also requires
 that such curriculum include a video, at least three minutes
 in duration, showing the development of the brain, heart, sex
 organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development,
 and a rendering or animation, comparable to the meet baby
 Olivia video developed by live action, showing the process of
 fertilization and every stage of human development inside the
 uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ
 development for every significant marker of pregnancy until
 birth.
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Statutes affected: 
Introduced: 256.11, 256.7, 256E.7