Parental Rights for Curriculum and Books.

HB 595 restricts certain curriculum content in North Carolina public schools, directly affecting K-12 students and their parents. It bans instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality in grades K-6 (except answering student questions) and requires parental written consent for such topics in grades 7-12. The bill mandates that schools provide age-appropriate health education materials, including 60-day parental review periods for materials related to sexual health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and reproductive health. It also specifies that human growth education in 4th and 5th grades must be single-sex, scientifically based, and require annual parental consent.