WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation Wednesday mandating elementary and middle schools obtain explicit approval from parents before implementing changes to their children’s pronouns or making other sex-based accommodations.
In a 217 to 198 vote, the lower chamber passed the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, which conditions federal funds to elementary and middle schools in compliance with the policy.
House Committee on Education and Workforce Chairman Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) introduced the measure in response to parents’ concerns that they weren’t being briefed on their children’s efforts to change their gender.
“For years, concerned parents have felt ignored as education bureaucrats push radical agendas in schools without their knowledge or input,” Walberg argued on the House floor in defense of the bill.
“Schools are facilitating gender transitions or encouraging their students to change their names and pronouns without telling parents. These are enormously consequential decisions that have lasting impacts on a child’s well-being and development.
“Parents deserve to be part of those conversations.”
There have been a number of high-profile instances where schools have enabled students to hide their transgender status from parents, triggering lawsuits.
Last month, for example, The Post reported on a school district in Connecticut getting sued for its policy declaring that schools “should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents/families/legal guardians.”
Under the House-passed measure, also known as the PROTECT Kids Act, schools would be required to get parental consent before changing a student’s gender markers in any form or allowing them to use locker rooms or bathrooms of a different sex.
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) led the opposition against the bill for Democrats, alleging that the bill would violate the law stopping the federal government from intervening in classroom curriculum.
“This bill takes away state and local control of curriculum, the very thing that the current administration claims they’re giving back to states by illegally dismantling the Department of Education,” he said.
“Parental involvement is important, and I support that, and it works in virtually all cases. But this bill is not about involvement, it’s about federal coercion, forcing schools into a situation where they may have to disclose sensitive information about a student even when they know it could put that child’s safety at risk.”
President Trump’s administration “strongly supports” the bill, according to a statement of policy. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain fate.
