North Carolina HB 595: Parental Rights for Curriculum and Books.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 595

Short Title: Parental Rights for Curriculum and Books. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Torbett and Blackwell (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 1, 2025
*H595-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE CHANGES TO THE STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY IN 2
HEALTH EDUCATION, ENSURE AGE-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION FOR 3
STUDENTS, ESTABLISH A PROCESS FOR SELECTION OF LIBRARY BOOKS AND 4
HEALTH AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS, 5
REQUIRE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL REPOSITORIES, AND RESTRICT ACCESS 6
IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES FOR STUDENTS TO MATERIALS HARMFUL TO MINORS. 7
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 8
9
PART I. STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY CHANGES 10
SECTION 1.1. Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 11
adding a new section to read: 12
"§ 115C-81.16. Age-appropriate instruction for students. 13
(a) Instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality shall not be included in the 14
curriculum provided in grades kindergarten through sixth grade, regardless of whether the 15
information is provided by school personnel or third parties. For the purposes of this section, 16
curriculum includes the standard course of study and support materials, locally developed 17
curriculum, supplemental instruction, and textbooks and other supplementary materials, but does 18
not include verbal responses to student-initiated questions. Instruction provided in accordance 19
with G.S. 115C-81.29 with parental consent does not violate this section. 20
(b) A student in grades seven through 12 shall not participate in instruction on gender 21
identity, sexual activity, or sexuality without the prior written consent of the student's parent or 22
legal guardian. Each governing board of a public school unit shall adopt a policy and provide a 23
mechanism to allow a parent or a legal guardian to consent to instruction required under this 24
section on an annual basis." 25
SECTION 1.2. G.S. 115C-81.25 reads as rewritten: 26
"§ 115C-81.25. Health education. 27
(a) Comprehensive health education instruction shall be developed and taught to students 28
from kindergarten through ninth grade. 29
(b) The State Board of Education shall do all of the following: 30
(1) Supervise the development and operation of the statewide comprehensive 31
school health education program, including curriculum development, teacher 32
professional development, promotion of training in teacher preparation 33
programs, learning material review, and assessment and evaluation of local 34
programs in the same manner as for other programs. 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 595-First Edition
(2) Adopt objectives for the instruction of the subject areas listed in this section 1
that are appropriate for each grade level. 2
(3) Approve textbooks and other materials incorporating these objectives that 3
local school administrative units may purchase with State funds. 4
(c) The State Board of Education, through the Department of Public Instruction, shall, on 5
a regular basis, review materials related to these objectives and distribute these reviews to local 6
school administrative units for their information. This program includes age-appropriate 7
instruction in the following subject areas, regardless of whether this instruction is described as, 8
or incorporated into a description of, "family life education," "family health education," "health 9
education," "family living," "health," "healthful living curriculum," or "self-esteem": 10
(1) Mental and emotional health. 11
(2) Drug and alcohol abuse prevention. 12
(3) Nutrition. 13
(4) Dental health. 14
(5) Environmental health. 15
(6) Family living. 16
(7) Consumer health. 17
(8) Disease control. 18
(9) Growth and development.development, consistent with the requirements of 19
G.S. 115C-81.29. 20
(10) First aid and emergency care, including the teaching of cardiopulmonary 21
resuscitation (CPR) and the Heimlich maneuver by using hands-on training 22
with mannequins so that students pass a test approved by the American Heart 23
Association or American Red Cross. For the purposes of this subdivision, 24
schools shall do all of the following: 25
a. Use an instructional program developed by the American Heart 26
Association, the American Red Cross, or other nationally recognized 27
programs that is based on the most current national evidence-based 28
emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for CPR. 29
b. Maintain documentation in an electronic database that students have 30
successfully completed CPR instruction to meet healthful living 31
essential standards. 32
c. Require successful completion of instruction in CPR to be a 33
requirement for high school graduation by the 2014-2015 school year. 34
(11) Preventing sexually transmitted disease