North Carolina's General Assembly has introduced a bill that seeks to clarify requirements for reproductive health and safety education in public schools. The bill, known as House Bill 185, or H185, was introduced on February 27, 2023, and has been referred to the Education-K-12, Health, and Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House committees.

The bill, sponsored by Representatives Torbett, Blackwell, Zenger, and Wheatley, seeks to amend G.S. 115C-81.30, which outlines the requirements for reproductive health and safety education in public schools. Specifically, the bill clarifies that such education must commence in the seventh grade, and not before, and that materials used must be age-appropriate for students.

The bill also specifies that information conveyed during the instruction must be objective and based on scientific research that is peer-reviewed and accepted by professionals and credentialed experts in relevant fields, including sexual health education, adolescent psychology, behavioral counseling, medicine, human anatomy, biology, ethics, or health education.

Additionally, the bill amends G.S. 115C-81.30(c) to require parental review and consent for students to participate in reproductive health and safety education programs. Local boards of education are required to adopt policies that provide opportunities for parents and legal guardians to either consent or withhold their consent for their children's participation in these programs.

Furthermore, the bill adds a new subdivision to G.S. 115C-218.85(a) to ensure that no instruction on reproductive health and safety education covered under G.S. 115C-81.30 commences prior to the start of the seventh grade. Similar amendments are made to G.S. 115C-238.66(1) and G.S. 116-239.8(b)(2) to ensure that no material covering reproductive health and safety education commences prior to the start of the seventh grade.

If passed, the bill will become effective immediately upon becoming law. As of now, it remains under review in committee.