The House voted on Friday to pass a controversial bill that seeks to expand so-called parental rights in the classroom.
The Parents Bill of Rights Act was launched at the beginning of the month after being the centerpiece of the GOP’s midterm commitment to America campaign. According to them, the legislation developed in response to COVID-19 shutdowns, which caused parents to take a closer look at the school curriculum during virtual learning.
The bill was passed by lawmakers with a vote of 213-208 after several amendments.
“In our commitment to America, we said we were going to have a parents bill of rights,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said during a news conference after the vote. continue “This is exactly what we just passed on the floor today, we’re keeping our commitment. It’s just another check off on all that we said we would do.”
Extreme MAGA Republicans want to jam their right
At his weekly press conference, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York criticized the plan as being extremely intrusive on public education.
Jeffries said, “Extreme MAGA Republicans want to jam their right wing ideology down the throats of students, teachers and parents throughout America.”
The bill has drawn criticism from congressional Democrats, and the White House has also opposed it in a statement of administration policy.
“The administration does not support H.R. 5 in its current form because the bill does not actually help parents support their children at school,” the statement said. “Moreover, instead of making LGBTQI+ students feel included in their school community, it puts them at higher risk. The administration strongly supports actions that empower parents to engage with their children’s teachers and schools, like enabling parents to take time off to attend school meetings. Legislation should not politicize our children’s education.”
What is Parents Bill of Right Act?
Under the Parents Bill of Rights Act, public school districts would have to post information on student curricula in a public post, including a list of books and reading materials that are available to parents in school libraries. The congressional vote comes as some elected Republicans in states throughout the nation have stepped up their campaign to restrict specific books or to place restrictions on what may be taught in schools about problems of racial equality, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Additionally, it would require parental approval before “changing a minor child’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form; or allowing a child to change the child’s sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms” in elementary and middle schools that receive federal funding.
The measure also protects parents’ rights to communicate to school boards and know about violent incidents at their child’s school.
Each school’s budget, including revenues and expenses, would have to be made public, as well as the district budget. Also, they would have to inform parents if there was any violent behavior at a school or at a school-sponsored event.
Also, the law would require parental approval before any medical exams, including screenings for mental health or substance use disorders, were conducted at school in an effort to preserve students’ privacy.
