The bill, S.B. No. 205, mandates the inclusion of fetal development instruction in the public school health curriculum for students in grades seven and eight. The State Board of Education is required to adopt rules that ensure this instruction covers essential knowledge and skills related to the human reproductive process, pregnancy, infertility, and the prevention of birth defects, including the effects of drugs and environmental hazards. Additionally, the instruction must provide a description of the growth and development of an unborn child during each trimester of pregnancy. The Board may also extend this requirement to other grade levels.

Furthermore, the bill amends the duties of local school health advisory councils to include recommendations for appropriate curriculum regarding fetal development, ensuring that these recommendations align with the essential knowledge and skills established by the State Board of Education. The bill will take effect for the 2025-2026 school year, and it will be enacted immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses of the legislature; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 28.002, Education Code 28.004 (Education Code 28)