Senate File 175 - Introduced SENATE FILE 175 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1028) A BILL FOR An Act incorporating provisions related to pregnancy and fetal 1 development into the human growth and development and health 2 curricula provided by school districts, accredited nonpublic 3 schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to 4 students enrolled in grades one through twelve. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 1624SV (2) 91 jda/jh

S.F. 175 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2025, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 3. The following areas shall be taught in grades one through 3 six: English-language arts, social studies, mathematics, 4 science, health, physical education, traffic safety, music, 5 visual art, and, subject to section 279.80 , age-appropriate and 6 research-based human growth and development that incorporates 7 the standards established under section 279.50, subsection 2, 8 paragraph “b” . Computer science instruction incorporating 9 the standards established under section 256.7, subsection 10 26 , paragraph “a” , subparagraph (4), shall be offered in 11 at least one grade level commencing with the school year 12 beginning July 1, 2023. The health curriculum shall include 13 the characteristics of communicable diseases. The state board 14 as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum 15 definitions for implementing the elementary program. 16 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 17 eight: English-language arts; social studies, including 18 instruction related to civics; mathematics; science; health; 19 age-appropriate and research-based human growth and development 20 that incorporates the standards established under section 21 279.50, subsection 3, paragraph “b” ; career exploration 22 and development; physical education; music; and visual art. 23 Computer science instruction incorporating the standards 24 established under section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph “a” , 25 subparagraph (4), shall be offered in at least one grade level 26 commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career 27 exploration and development shall be designed so that students 28 are appropriately prepared to create an individual career 29 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 30 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 31 with the six career and technical education service areas as 32 defined in subsection 5 , paragraph “h” , incorporate relevant 33 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, 34 and introduce students to career opportunities within the 35 -1- LSB 1624SV (2) 91 jda/jh 1/ 5

S.F. 175 local community and across this state. The health curriculum 1 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 2 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 3 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt 4 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades 5 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to 6 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 7 schools. 8 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph j, 9 subparagraph (1), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 10 (1) One unit of health education which may include personal 11 health; food and nutrition; environmental health; safety and 12 survival skills; consumer health; family life; age-appropriate 13 and research-based human growth and development that 14 incorporates the standards established under section 279.50, 15 subsection 3, paragraph “b” ; substance use disorder and nonuse; 16 emotional and social health; health resources; cardiopulmonary 17 resuscitation; and prevention and control of disease, including 18 age-appropriate and research-based information regarding 19 sexually transmitted diseases. 20 Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code 21 2025, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 22 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (01) The educational standards of 23 section 256.11 relating to the human growth and development 24 curriculum for grades one through eight or the health 25 curriculum for grades nine through twelve. 26 Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 27 by adding the following new paragraph: 28 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 29 requirements of section 256.11 relating to the human growth and 30 development curriculum for grades one through eight and the 31 health curriculum for grades nine through twelve. 32 Sec. 5. Section 279.50, subsections 2 and 3, Code 2025, are 33 amended to read as follows: 34 2. a. Subject to section 279.80 , each school board shall 35 -2- LSB 1624SV (2) 91 jda/jh 2/ 5

S.F. 175 provide age-appropriate and research-based instruction in 1 human growth and development including instruction regarding 2 self-esteem, stress management, interpersonal relationships, 3 and domestic abuse in grades one through six. 4 b. The age-appropriate and research-based instruction in 5 human growth and development described in paragraph “a” shall 6 include all of the following: 7 (1) Instruction related to human development inside the 8 womb. 9 (2) A high-definition ultrasound video showing the presence 10 of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in early fetal 11 development. 12 (3) A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or 13 animation, or an ultrasound or other real image, that depicts 14 the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human 15 development, starting at fertilization, noting significant 16 markers in cell growth and organ development throughout every 17 stage of pregnancy. 18 c. The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant 19 to chapter 17A to administer and interpret this subsection. 20 3. a. Each school board shall provide age-appropriate and 21 research-based instruction in human growth and development 22 including instruction regarding human sexuality, self-esteem, 23 stress management, interpersonal relationships, domestic abuse, 24 and the prevention and control of disease, including sexually 25 transmitted diseases as required in section 256.11 , in grades 26 seven through twelve. 27 b. The age-appropriate and research-based instruction in 28 human growth and development described in paragraph “a” shall 29 include all of the following: 30 (1) Instruction related to human development inside the 31 womb. 32 (2) A high-definition ultrasound video showing the presence 33 of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in early fetal 34 development. 35 -3- LSB 1624SV (2) 91 jda/jh 3/ 5

S.F. 175 (3) A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or 1 animation, or an ultrasound or other real image, that depicts 2 the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human 3 development, starting at fertilization, noting significant 4 markers in cell growth and organ development throughout every 5 stage of pregnancy. 6 c. The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant 7 to chapter 17A to administer and interpret this subsection. 8 Sec. 6. Section 279.50, subsection 10, paragraph b, Code 9 2025, is amended to read as follows: 10 b. “Research-based” means all of the following: 11 (1) Complete complete, unbiased information that is 12 verified or supported by the weight of research conducted 13 in compliance with accepted scientific methods ; , recognized 14 as medically accurate and objective by leading professional 15 organizations and agencies with relevant expertise in the 16 field, such as the American college of obstetricians and 17 gynecologists, the American public health association, the 18 American academy of pediatrics, and the national association of 19 school nurses; and published in peer-reviewed journals where 20 appropriate. 21 (2) Information that is free of racial, ethnic, sexual 22 orientation, and gender biases. 23 EXPLANATION 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 25 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 26 This bill incorporates provisions related to pregnancy and 27 fetal development into the human growth and development and 28 health curricula provided by school districts, accredited 29 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools 30 to students enrolled in grades 1 through 12. 31 The bill requires that the human growth and development 32 curricula provided by school districts, nonpublic schools, 33 charter schools, and innovation zone schools in grades 1 34 through 8, and the health curriculum in grades 9 through 12, 35 -4- LSB 1624SV (2) 91 jda/jh 4/ 5

S.F. 175 include instruction related to human development inside the 1 womb. The bill also requires that such curricula include 2 a high-definition ultrasound video showing the presence 3 of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in early fetal 4 development, and a high-quality, computer-generated rendering 5 or animation, or an ultrasound or other real image, that 6 depicts the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal 7 human development, starting at fertilization, noting 8 significant markers in cell growth and organ development 9 throughout every stage of pregnancy. The bill requires 10 the state board of education to adopt rules to administer 11 and interpret these provisions. If interpretive rulemaking 12 authority is clearly vested in the discretion of an agency by 13 statute, the applicable judicial standard of review is whether 14 the rules constitute an irrational, illogical, or wholly 15 unjustifiable interpretation of law by the agency (Code section 16 17A.19(10)(l)). If interpretive rulemaking authority is not 17 clearly vested in the discretion of an agency, the applicable 18 judicial standard of review is whether the rules constitute an 19 erroneous interpretation of law (Code section 17A.19(10)(c)). 20 The bill modifies the definition of “research-based” for 21 purposes of human growth and development instruction, and for 22 purposes of the state’s educational program, to provide that 23 such term means complete, unbiased information that is verified 24 or supported by the weight of research conducted in compliance 25 with accepted scientific methods, recognized as medically 26 accurate and objective by leading professional organizations 27 and agencies with relevant expertise in the field, and 28 published in peer-reviewed journals where appropriate. 29 -5- LSB 1624SV (2) 91 jda/jh 5/ 5