Conference committee advances HB 2,382 to require fetal‑development video in courses and to shift State Board pay authority

A conference committee session on education reviewed a Senate substitute for House Bill 2,382 that would require school districts to include a three‑minute, high‑definition presentation on early human fetal development in any course or other instruction that addresses “human growth, human development or human *********,” and members discussed an amendment that would grant the State Board authority to set its own member compensation.

The bill language, as read at the meeting, would “enact a new section of law requiring school districts to include a human fetal development presentation as part of any course that addresses human growth, human development, or human *********,” and specifies that “this presentation would be a high quality computer generated animation or high definition ultrasound of at least 3 minutes in duration and which are the development of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in early human fetal development,” according to comments recorded by the committee’s reviser.

Committee members repeatedly pressed staff for detail about scope and implementation. Representative Poskin asked whether a teacher whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with the presentation would be required to teach it; the reviser replied, “This bill does not speak to any school district policies with regard to how it would require or allow a teacher to teach or not teach…