TN Passes ‘Baby Olivia Act’ Requiring Public Schools to Show Students Unborn Babies’ Development

In early 2023, North Dakota passed legislation that required public schools to show “a high-definition video, at least three minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development.” ND House Bill 1265 faced its share of scrutiny from the Left, as lawmakers across the country such as Iowa State Representative Jennifer Konfrst (D) claimed a video mapping out fetal development “is just politics” and “not scientifically correct.”

The video used as an example in the bill was produced by the pro-life organization Live Action and entitled, “Meet Baby Olivia.” In three minutes, it follows the development of a baby from conception to birth as the end of the nine-month “journey,” as the video describes. North Dakota State Senator Janne Myrdal (R), who referenced the Live Action content during hearings on HB 1265, said, “For me, it wasn’t a life issue. It was education.” She added that part of what stirred her to advocate for this legislation is because she found it “odd” human development wasn’t already part of some school curriculums. And roughly a year later, it would seem the state of Tennessee came to the same conclusion.

On April 23, a second state followed North Dakota’s lead, and Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Lee signed into law House Bill 2435, which also requires teaching this science to students. As The Christian Post reported, “The votes in both chambers came down along party lines, with all Republicans supporting the legislation and all Democrats opposing it.” As the bill text states:

“A family life curriculum that directly or indirectly addresses human growth, human development, or human sexuality must include the presentation of a high-quality, computer-generated animation or high-definition ultrasound of at least three (3) minutes in duration that shows the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development, such as ‘Meet Baby Olivia,’ a high-quality, computer-generated animation developed by Live Action that shows the process of fertilization and the stages of human development inside the uterus.”

Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, celebrated the momentum in a press release, “Tennessee is setting a precedent for other states to follow in prioritizing comprehensive education on human development by mandating state-of-the-art life-like animation explaining human development, like Live Action’s Baby Olivia video, in state education standards.”

She continued, “Tennessee has joined North Dakota in setting the standard for world-class education that ensures students are equipped with the knowledge they need. Tennessee has over 1 million public school students who will now be equipped with cutting-edge educational material on human development in the womb.” And as the statement from Live Action read, “Women are indeed less likely to choose abortion if they are shown the humanity of their children.”

Some have pointed out that the passage of this bill is significant as the gap between Republicans and Democrats increasingly widens on the issue of life. But in Tennessee, the House’s marginwas “an overwhelming 67-23 vote in March,” and a 21-6 margin in the Senate. And with HB 2435 to go into effect in the fall, Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Tenn.), lead sponsor of the bill, stated, “The fruits of including Meet Baby Olivia as a part of every family life curriculum used in Tennessee’s public schools will be long-lasting and widespread across Tennessee.”

Mary Szoch, director of Family Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity, told The Washington Stand, “The passage of TN House Bill 2435, the Baby Olivia Act, is a huge win for all Americans.” She explained that Alexis McGill Johnson, the president of the abortion giant Planned Parenthood, “recently noted that approximately 70% of the abortions carried out by Planned Parenthood are done using the abortion drug, mifepristone. Planned Parenthood describes this process as one where the woman takes the drug mifepristone, then takes misoprostol, then passes the ‘pregnancy tissue.’”

But according to Szoch, the reality is, “Countless women have described their horror at taking these drugs, experiencing horrific pain and bleeding, and then delivering what they were promised was a clump of cells or ‘pregnancy tissue’ but is visibly and recognizably their dead unborn baby into the toilet.” As such, the pro-life expert added, “Many of these women experience heartbreak and regret once they recognize that the abortion drug, mifepristone, killed a baby — their baby.”

This is why “legislation like the Baby Olivia Act” is needed, Szoch insisted, since it “will help many to recognize the biological fact that what Planned Parenthood refers to as ‘pregnancy tissue’ is actually an unborn baby and an abortion kills that child.”

She concluded, “The Baby Oliva Act will make certain both men and women know this BEFORE mothers and fathers experience the heartbreak of abortion. I hope more states follow this path!”