CV NEWS FEED // Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a new law requiring public schools to show students video representation of fetal development as a part of its family life curriculum.
Lee signed HB 2435/SB 2767, otherwise known as the Baby Olivia Act after the Live Action video that inspired it, on April 23. The legislation will take effect in the next 2024-2025 school year.
The Act specifies that schools must include “the presentation of a high-quality, computer-generated animation or high-definition ultrasound of at least three (3) minutes in duration ..such as ‘Meet Baby Olivia,’ a high-quality, computer-generated animation developed by Live Action.”
In a press release following the decision, Founder and President of Live Action Lila Rose called the state legislature’s decision to pass the Act “a crucial step toward educating students about the incredible process of human development in the womb.”
“I applaud the Tennessee state legislature,” she stated in the release, adding: “By ensuring that all students in Tennessee are provided with accurate information about human development, we are empowering future generations to understand and respect human life.”
Rose noted that the state’s decision sets a precedent for other states to follow, potentially setting the ball rolling for setting new education standards across the US. Tennessee joins North Dakota in its decision to mandate a more comprehensive approach to education on human development.
“This is just the beginning of ensuring every American student has access to accurate information on when human life begins and how it develops,” she said. “I encourage our other 48 states to follow the forward-thinking lead of Tennessee and North Dakota.”
Reviewed and accredited by licensed professional OBGYNs, Live Action created its Baby Olivia video in order to demonstrate, with scientific accuracy, that life begins at the moment of conception, and to “show the humanity of the preborn throughout each stage of human development.”
“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,” Rose concluded.
