Committee refers fetal‑development education bill to amending order after heated testimony on accuracy and age appropriateness

Senator Tammy Nichols presented Senate Bill 1046 to the Senate Education Committee, describing a measure that would require public and charter schools that teach human biology, contraception or sexually transmitted infections to include age‑appropriate instruction about fetal development and to make available resources such as ultrasound video or computer‑generated animations. The sponsor said the instruction would be for grades 5 through 12 when those subjects are taught and would allow parental review and opt‑out under existing Idaho code.

Nichols told the committee the bill is intended to give students a scientific understanding of the stages of development in utero; she said the material is complementary to adoption education passed last year and that local…