Utah lawmakers want to turn health class into an anti-abortion PSA

Utah lawmakers are moving to put anti-abortion propaganda into public school health classes, advancing a bill tailor-made to require screening of a video produced by a national anti-abortion organization that doctors say gets the science wrong.

HB315 from Rep. Nicholeen Peck, R-Tooele, mandates that beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, public schools must include in Utah’s sex-ed classes a “high-definition video of at least three minutes in duration” that shows a human fetus in various stages of development.

Those specific requirements point directly to a specific video, known as “Baby Olivia,” a glossy three-minute animation produced by Live Action, a national anti-abortion 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that opposes abortion in all circumstances. It’s part of a multi-state push to require screenings in public schools. At least 20 states have introduced such legislation, and six—North Dakota, Tennessee, Idaho, Kansas, Indiana and Iowa—have enacted it.

Live Action gained prominence when it published a series of undercover videos targeting Planned Parenthood. Those sting videos drew sharp criticism for deceptive methods and misleading edits.

The “Baby Olivia" video is a computer-generated animation showing human development through birth and runs for approximately three minutes.

Doctors and educators have criticized the video as manipulative and inaccurate. Medical professionals claim the video presents several milestones in fetal development as taking place two weeks earlier than standard medical practice. For instance, the video claims a fetal heartbeat is detectible at three weeks after fertilization, but a fully formed heart does not exist until approximately six to nine weeks. The video also depicts the fetus “playing” and “exploring” at 11 weeks. Medical experts say a fetus does not make purposeful movements like hiccups or stretching until about 15 to 23 weeks, and portraying these as “playing” is not scientifically accurate. The video also claims that a fetus can survive outside the womb at 20 weeks, while experts say the lower limit of viability is at 23 or 24 weeks, with extremely low survival rates. Opponents say the point isn’t science—it’s to smuggle anti-abortion messaging into health class.

Opponents have also described the video as “state-mandated indoctrination.”

When the bill was heard in the House Education Committee last week, Peck said she would like to have the “Baby Olivia” video screened in Utah classrooms.

“I thought, oh my goodness, that is such a beautiful video. It showed the development of a baby, completely tasteful. And I thought to myself, I wish that I would have seen that and known that when I was young,” Peck said.

“In the state, we've been talking a lot this year about our fertility crisis that we're facing in our state. And I think that this type of training would help people understand a little bit more about babies and the beauty of babies and why we need to care about those babies and their development.”

Under HB315, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is responsible for approving which videos can be shown in class and publishing a list of those approved materials online. Local school boards must include a video from that approved list as part of the curriculum.

The bill does not make it so “Baby Olivia” is the only video that can be approved for use in classrooms, but it is written so that the video is likely to be included on that approved list.

After Idaho passed a similar bill last year, the Idaho Department of Education (IDE) approved six videos, including “Baby Olivia,” for inclusion in classroom instruction. One school district has voted specifically to use the “Baby Olivia” video, while another allows teachers to choose from the state-recommended list for their students.

HB315 was passed by the full House of Representatives on Monday and is waiting for consideration in the Utah Senate.

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