US House GOP Passes Parents’ Bill of Rights Act

Facts

• The Republican-led US House on Friday fulfilled a campaign promise and passed the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act by a 213-208 vote, with five Republicans joining Democrats in voting against it.¹
• The bill calls for schools to make their curricula public, mandate teachers to meet with parents, and provide parents with information about any violence on school grounds.²
• It would also require that parents be given a list of reading materials available at the school and a more significant say in school policies.³
• There were also amendments added to the bill that would require schools to report when transgender girls join girls’ sports teams or are allowed to use girls’ restrooms or locker rooms. Elementary and middle schools would be required to get parents’ consent before allowing a child to change gender designation, pronoun, or name.¹
• Some say the legislation is merely symbolic as the Democrat-led Senate is unlikely to bring the bill up for a vote.⁴

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²US News & World Report, ³The Hill, and ⁴Forbes.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by CNN. Republicans are promoting this bill under the banner of parents’ rights, but it’s nothing more than red meat for their base, which wants to curtail vital school debates about race, gender identity, and sexuality. Rather than wasting time on manufactured "problems," the House should focus its attention on the real issues that American students face, such as teacher shortages and rampant gun violence at schools.
• Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. This is much-needed legislation to remove the political wedge that the increasingly woke school system seeks to impale between families. Despite claims to the contrary, there’s no book ban or mechanism for revealing a student’s gender identity in this bill, it merely provides a route for parents to rightfully know what’s going on in their children’s lives and participate in molding their learning experience.