Tennessee lawmakers pass bill requiring public schools to show AI video on fetus development
(CNN) — Tennessee could soon become the latest state to require public school students to watch a three-minute AI-generated video on fetal development created by an anti-abortion group.
The state Senate passed the legislation, commonly known as the “Baby Olivia Act,” in a 21-6 vote Thursday and the bill is now headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk.
Under the proposed law, schools must incorporate the video, or an equivalent, into their family life curriculum. This curriculum will cover topics such as human growth, development, and sexuality through a “high-quality computer-generated animation or high-definition ultrasound that depicts early fetal development of the brain, heart, and other vital organs.”
Produced by the pro-life group Live Action, the animation has sparked debate.
Republican Rep. Gino Bulso, who sponsored the House bill, argued in March the video was medically accurate and approved by a committee of medical professionals and experts. However, House Democrats said they had research from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists they believed debunks that statement.
State Minority Leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari said the video doesn’t deserve a place in the curriculum.
“Students deserve unbiased, medically accurate sex education that helps them make healthy and safe decisions. This legislation achieves none of those goals.”
House Democrat Rep. Aftyn Behn argued the pro-life video is “incredibly problematic” and goes against Bulso’s views on education.
“To use your own words Representative Bulso, when you were asked about a controversial piece of legislation you carried a few weeks ago, you said a school is a place where a child goes to learn, not a place where a child goes to be indoctrinated,” Behn said.
The House passed HB2435 with a 67-23 vote in March.
Republican Sen. Janice Bowling, who sponsored the Senate bill, said on Thursday she favored the legislation introduced by Bulso.
“Baby Olivia is a medically accurate, animated glimpse of human life in the moment of fertilization, this scientifically accurate, video shows her growth as she progresses from one developmental stage to the next in preparation for her continued life outside the womb and I repeat this is one of the choices that teachers may choose in showing this type of information,” Bowling said.
Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, expressed gratitude for the bill’s passage:
“I applaud the Tennessee state legislature for passing the Baby Olivia Act, a crucial step toward educating students about the amazing process of human development in the womb … I look forward to Governor Lee swiftly signing this bill into law, setting a precedent for other states to follow in prioritizing comprehensive education on human development.”
The narrated AI film gives a chronological account of what takes place during the different stages of pregnancy.
The video begins with the fertilization and implantation of an egg and proceeds to show the embryonic and fetal development of a fetus.
Noah Brandt, vice president of communications for Live Action, says the group consulted with a panel of medical doctors including experts in embryonic and fetal development for the project. The anti-abortion group also says each doctor endorsed this presentation.
CNN reached out to Planned Parenthood and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for comment.
Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones said in a recent phone interview with CNN the new legislation was an attempt to merge religious beliefs with science and to confuse students with “medically inaccurate” information.
“It is shameful that this is what they are pushing in our schools when we are facing the situation where our schools are underfunded, our teachers are already being forced to ban history, to ban books about critical race theory, or about diversity, and yet they’re going to push this propaganda into our schools to present a view that is not factually accurate.”
Jones also said GOP representatives voted against an amendment that would allow parents to opt their children out of watching the video.
CNN reached out to Lee’s office for timing of the bill’s signature.
Once signed, the law will go into effect immediately starting with the 2024-2025 school year.
This decision comes two years after the state of Tennessee banned abortions at all stages of pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest. The ban only makes an exception if a pregnant woman’s life and body are at serious risk.
Tennessee will join North Dakota in the adoption of the bill. Similar legislation is also under consideration in Iowa, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri.