HF 2098 (LSB 5704YH (2) 89)

HOUSE FILE 2098

BY  BROWN-POWERS

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the health and human growth and development instruction provided by school districts and accredited nonpublic schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 256.11, subsections 2, 3, and 4, Code 2022, are amended to read as follows:
   2.  The kindergarten program shall include experiences designed to develop healthy emotional and social habits and growth in the language arts and communication skills, as well as a capacity for the completion of individual tasks, and protect and increase physical well-being with attention given to experiences relating to the development of life skills and human growth and development. A kindergarten teacher shall be licensed to teach in kindergarten. An accredited nonpublic school must meet the requirements of this subsection only if the nonpublic school offers a kindergarten program.  The experiences relating to human growth and development shall include instruction in identifying parts of the body as well as age-appropriate and research-based information regarding the importance of empathy and how to establish and respect physical boundaries. For purposes of this subsection, “age-appropriate” and “research-based” mean the same as defined in section 279.50.
   3.  The following areas shall be taught in grades one through six:  English-language arts, social studies, mathematics, science, health, age-appropriate and research-based human growth and development, physical education, traffic safety, 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. The health curriculum shall include the characteristics of communicable diseases, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and shall also include instruction in identifying parts of the body.  The human growth and development curriculum shall include age-appropriate and research-based information regarding the importance of empathy and how to establish and respect physical boundaries. The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum definitions for implementing the elementary program.  For purposes of this subsection, “age-appropriate” and “research-based” mean the same as defined in section 279.50.
   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”, and incorporate relevant twenty-first century skills. The health curriculum shall include age-appropriate and research-based information regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV and the availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome.  The human growth and development curriculum shall include age-appropriate and research-based information regarding how to give proper sexual and nonsexual consent, how to recognize proper sexual and nonsexual consent, how to identify sexually predatory behavior, the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy sexual and nonsexual relationships, and how to prevent sexual and nonsexual assault. 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. For purposes of this section subsection, “age-appropriate”, “HPV”, and “research-based” mean the same as defined in section 279.50.
    Sec. 2.  Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph j, subparagraph (1), Code 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   (1)  One unit of health education which shall 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 abuse and nonuse; emotional and social health; health resources; and prevention and control of disease, including age-appropriate and research-based information regarding sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV and the availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome.  The one unit of health education shall also include age-appropriate and research-based information regarding how to give proper sexual and nonsexual consent, how to recognize proper sexual and nonsexual consent, how to identify sexually predatory behavior, the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy sexual and nonsexual relationships, and how to prevent sexual and nonsexual assault. For purposes of this subparagraph, “age-appropriate” and “research-based” mean the same as defined in section 279.50.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the health and human growth and development instruction provided by school districts and accredited nonpublic schools.
   The bill requires that the curriculum taught in kindergarten and grades one through six in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools include instruction in identifying parts of the body. The bill also requires that the curriculum taught in kindergarten and grades one through six in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools include age-appropriate and research-based information regarding the importance of empathy and how to establish and respect physical boundaries.
   The bill requires that the human growth and development curriculum taught in grades 7 and 8 and the health curriculum taught in grades 9 through 12 in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools include age-appropriate and research-based information regarding how to give proper sexual and nonsexual consent, how to recognize proper sexual and nonsexual consent, how to identify sexually predatory behavior, the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy sexual and nonsexual relationships, and how to prevent sexual and nonsexual assault.
   The bill defines “age-appropriate” and “research-based”.