Ohio bill would require fetal development videos to be shown in schools annually

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – An Ohio lawmaker wants to require public school students to watch videos about fetal development annually from third through 12th grade. 

Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) introduced House Bill 485, named the “Baby Olivia Act,” on Sept. 29. The proposal would mandate schools show a video created by Live Action, an organization against abortion, called “Meet Baby Olivia,”

which walks viewers through fetal development and narrates that life begins at conception.

In addition to “Meet Baby Olivia,” the legislation would require the annual screening of a high-definition ultrasound video showing fetal development that is at least three minutes long. These are the minimum requirements laid out in the measure, and school districts may choose to “do something more extensive,” according to Miller. 

“By championing this legislation, I want to equip the next generation with knowledge that fosters respect for human life and an appreciation for the incredible biology that begins at conception,” Miller said in a statement.

The bill seeks to begin showing the videos during the 2026-2027 school year. The proposal states that a school must, upon request, make related instructional materials available to parents. Miller said parents may choose to opt their children out. 

The Ohio Department of Education would conduct an audit at the beginning of each school year to verify compliance with the measure, and would publish its findings online no later than 120 days after the school year commences. If schools do not comply, they could face a lawsuit from the Ohio Attorney General. 

Legislation that mandates schools show the Baby Olivia video or similar content has been introduced in over 20 states. Six states – Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota and Tennessee – have passed such laws. 

Planned Parenthood has called the Baby Olivia video “manipulative,” stating that its up-close shots misrepresent fetal development. The reproductive healthcare provider also claims there is “very little mention” of the mother in the video and that it “downplays the risks of pregnancy.” 

Kellie Copeland, the executive director of Abortion Forward, has come out against the bill, stating Miller and the Ohio Legislature want to “force anti-abortion disinformation” into public schools. Copeland pointed to the fact that Ohio is the only state in the nation without state-mandated health education standards for K-12, and said adopting such standards would serve as a better option for students. 

“Students should learn the science around human reproduction, but those lessons should also include medically accurate and comprehensive information that is proven to encourage teens to delay the start of sexual activity until later in life and give them the tools to prevent unintended pregnancy and plan how to start a family when they are ready to do so,” Copeland said. “This propaganda video full of misinformation is the opposite of that.” 

The bill has drawn support from the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio and Center for Christian Virtue, with representatives from each organization speaking at an announcement of the bill in late September. 

“How many times have we heard the rationale that an embryo or a fetus is just ‘pregnancy tissue’ or a ‘clump of cells,’ or worse yet, not even human?” said Kate Makra, president of the Right to Life Action Coalition. “This dehumanization of the unborn must stop, and it can only be overcome by teaching children the truth about the humanity of the child in the womb.”

HB 485 was referred to the Education Committee, where it awaits its first hearing. Seven Republicans are cosponsoring the bill.