HB2670

THE CONTEXT: SBE must prescribe minimum course of study requirements that incorporate the academic standards to be taught in common schools and that are required for the graduation of students from high school. SBE is also required to prescribe competency requirements in at least the areas of reading, writing, math, science and social studies for the promotion of students from the 3rd and 8th grades and for the graduation of students from high school (A.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would instruct SBE, in adopting course of study and competency requirements, to require that all health education instruction provided to students in the 7th or 8th grades include instruction on fetal development, specifies the instruction on fetal development must include: a) information about the human reproductive process, pregnancy and infertility; and b) a description of the growth and development of an unborn child that occurs during each trimester of pregnancy, and allow SBE to require that health education instruction provided to students in the 1st-6th grades or 9th-12th grades include age-appropriate instruction on fetal development.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to turn the Legislature's standard for health education into an enforceable rule. It would instruct SBE, in adopting course of study and competency requirements, to require that all health education instruction provided to students in the 7th or 8th grades include instruction on fetal development, and would also specifies the instruction on fetal development must include: a) information about the human reproductive process, pregnancy and infertility; and b) a description of the growth and development of an unborn child that occurs during each trimester of pregnancy, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.