South Dakota Schools Must Show a Prenatal Video July 1
South Dakota public schools must begin showing state-approved prenatal development videos to students on July 1, 2026, under House Bill 1313, signed earlier this year by Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden. The South Dakota Board of Education Standards approved three video options on June 22, 2026, including one produced by Live Action, a national anti-abortion advocacy group.
”Baby Olivia” Comes From an Anti-Abortion Group
The three-minute-and-thirteen-second video “Baby Olivia” was produced by Live Action and has drawn criticism from medical professionals and abortion-rights advocates. The video dates embryo age from fertilization rather than from the mother’s last known menstrual period, which does not align with standard medical pregnancy dating. Despite this, State Education Secretary Joe Graves said the department vetted all three videos for scientific accuracy before presenting them to the board.
“Will there be a controversy somewhere? It’s possible. But I don’t see it being based on there being any inaccurate information in the videos.”
Joe Graves, South Dakota State Education Secretary, June 22, 2026
“Baby Olivia” alone does not meet the law’s two required elements. Schools that choose it must pair it with a second video, “How a Human Embryo Develops into a Fetus,” produced by Encyclopedia Britannica. Both are available free online. The third approved option is a 42-minute DVD produced in 2006 by the Endowment for Human Development, which costs up to $29 per copy.
The Law Bars Videos From Abortion-Rights Groups
HB 1313 explicitly prohibits videos from any organization that performs or promotes abortion. That restriction means only one side of a contested medical and political debate is eligible to produce content for South Dakota classrooms. The law requires each video or combination of videos to include high-definition ultrasound footage and imagery tracing prenatal development from fertilization through birth.
School districts must confirm compliance annually. The state education department is exploring whether it can license the 42-minute DVD and distribute it through its own website.
“Baby Olivia” has already inspired similar legislation in other states, making South Dakota part of a coordinated national effort to embed anti-abortion messaging in public school science curricula.
What You Can Do Now
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Contact your local South Dakota school board before July 1 and ask which video your district plans to use. Request that the board choose the Encyclopedia Britannica-paired option over the Live Action “Baby Olivia” video, citing medical accuracy concerns. Find your district board at doe.sd.gov/administration/directory.aspx.
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Call the South Dakota Board of Education Standards at (605) 773-3134 and ask whether the board will revisit the “Baby Olivia” approval given documented concerns from medical professionals about its non-standard pregnancy dating.
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Contact your state legislators at the South Dakota Legislature (605-773-3251) and ask them to amend HB 1313 to require that all approved videos align with standard clinical pregnancy dating guidelines as defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
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Connect with the ACLU of South Dakota at aclusd.org to report concerns if your school district uses the Live Action video without disclosing its source organization to parents and students.
Sources
South Dakota Searchlight: Lawsuit Challenges South Dakota’s New Ban on Abortion-Pill Advertising
Live Action: Baby Olivia Video Page
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: How Doctors Calculate Gestational Age
South Dakota Legislature: House Bill 1313 Full Text
[Quote: “Will there be a controversy somewhere? It’s possible.
But I don’t see it being based on there being any inaccurate information in the videos.”, Joe Graves, South Dakota State Education Secretary. South Dakota Searchlight]