SB1198 • 2026

Requires public schools to provide instruction in human growth and development

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Gregory (15), David; House handler: N/A
Last action: 2026-01-27
Official status: Second Read and Referred S Education Committee
Effective date: 2026-08-28

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires public schools to provide instruction in human growth and development

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1198 - Under this act, all public schools shall provide instruction in human growth and development as part of their curriculum.

What This Bill Does

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1198 - Under this act, all public schools shall provide instruction in human growth and development as part of their curriculum.
Topics to be covered include human biology related to pregnancy, human development inside the womb, and visual materials including a high-definition ultrasound video illustrating early organ development and a computer-generated animation depicting fertilization and each stage of fetal growth through birth.
The curriculum shall be presented to students in grades 1-6 in an age-appropriate manner and shall be continued for students in grades 7-8 in a developmentally suitable manner.
High school students shall receive human growth and development instruction as a condition for graduation, with the content integrated into health or science education and aligned with state academic performance standards.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-27 S238
Second Read and Referred S Education Committee
2026-01-07 S69
S First Read
2025-12-01 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate
Prefiled

Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Introduced

Print

SB 1198 - Under this act, all public schools shall provide instruction in human growth and development as part of their curriculum. Topics to be covered include human biology related to pregnancy, human development inside the womb, and visual materials including a high-definition ultrasound video illustrating early organ development and a computer-generated animation depicting fertilization and each stage of fetal growth through birth. The curriculum shall be presented to students in grades 1-6 in an age-appropriate manner and shall be continued for students in grades 7-8 in a developmentally suitable manner. High school students shall receive human growth and development instruction as a condition for graduation, with the content integrated into health or science education and aligned with state academic performance standards. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop instructional guidelines, educational materials, teacher training programs, and related resources to support the incorporation of this curriculum, either within existing courses or as a separate course of study.

This act contains an emergency clause.
OLIVIA SHANNON

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1198
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR GREGORY (15).
4867S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 170, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to instruction in human
development, with an emergency clause.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 170, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 170.016, to read as 2
follows:3
170.016. 1. Human growth and development curriculum 1
shall be taught in the public schools of this state. Human 2
growth and development education shall include, but shall 3
not be limited to: 4
(1) Human biology related to pregnancy; 5
(2) Human development inside of a womb; 6
(3) A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three 7
minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, 8
heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal 9
development; and 10
(4) A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or 11
animation showing the process of fertilization and every 12
stage of fetal development, highlighting significant markers 13
in cell growth and organ development until birth. 14
2. School districts shall provide the curriculum 15
described in subsection 1 of this section to students in 16
grades one through six in an age-appropriate manner. 17
SB 1198 2
Schools may incorporate the curriculum into an existing 18
course or courses or develop curriculum for a separate 19
course. 20
3. School districts shall provide a continuation of 21
the curriculum described in subsection 1 of this section to 22
students in grades seven and eight in a developmentally 23
appropriate manner. Schools may incorporate the curriculum 24
into an existing course or courses or develop curriculum for 25
a separate course. 26
4. In order to graduate from a public high school 27
accredited by the state board of education with a standard 28
diploma, students in grades nine through twelve shall 29
receive human growth and development instruction as 30
described in subsection 1 of this section. Such instruction 31
shall be integrated into health or science education and 32
shall be incorporated into the academic performance 33
standards adopted by the state board of education under 34
section 160.514. 35
5. The department of elementary and secondary 36
education shall develop guidelines, material, professional 37
development programs, and resources designed to enable 38
schools and teachers to include human growth and development 39
instruction within any course of study currently offered by 40
the school district or offer human growth and development as 41
a separate course. 42
Section B. Because of the urgent need to provide 1
students accurate instruction on the fundamentals of human 2
growth and development, section A of this act is deemed 3
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public 4
health, welfare, peace, and safety, and is hereby declared 5
to be an emergency act within the meaning of the 6
SB 1198 3
constitution, and section A of this act shall be in full 7
force and effect upon its passage and approval. 8
✓