House GOP reiterates the five core tenets of the "Parents Bill of Rights."
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) August 6, 2023
H.R.5, entitled "Parents Bill of Rights Act," passed the U.S. House of Representatives on March 24th. According to its summary, the legislation "establishes various rights of parents and guardians regarding the public elementary or secondary school education of their children."
Earlier this year, House GOP spelled out the basis of the initiative. "To support our children, provide for their education, promote their well-being, and secure a brighter future, We the Parents of the United States enjoin this Parents Bill of Rights:
- Right to know what's being taught in schools and to see reading material
- Right to be heard
- Right to see school budget and spending
- Right to protect their child's privacy
- Right to be updated on any violent activity at school"
The legislative summary specifies several practical parental rights the act purports to secure. This includes the right to review (and make copies of at no cost) the curriculum of their child's school; the right to meet with each teacher of their child at least twice each school year; the right to review the budget, including all revenues and expenditures, of their child's school; and other rights.
Zero House Democrats voted in favor of the Parents Bill of Rights Act. The bill currently sits in the U.S. Senate, where it has been received and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The parental rights spelled out by this legislation should be considered basic ones. That a bill is necessary for parents to be empowered to know what their child is being taught and what is happening at their child's school is itself a commentary.
The necessity of a Parents Bill of Rights flows from the state-first ideological orientation of Democrats.
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