Parental Rights in Education
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Bill Summary - 24LSO-0076 Bill No.: SF0009 Effective: Multiple Dates LSO No.: 24LSO-0076 Enrolled Act No.: SEA No. 0008 Chapter No.: 34 Prime Sponsor: Joint Education Interim Committee Catch Title: Parental rights in education-1. Has Report: No Subject: Additional duties for K-12 school districts related to notification and consent. Summary/Major Elements: This act specifies procedures and requirements for K-12 public schools to provide parents and guardians notice regarding their children as soon as practicable if there is a change in their child's educational, physical, mental or emotional health or well-being. The act requires school districts to adopt policies to reinforce the fundamental right of parents and guardians to make decisions regarding the care and control of their children. Pursuant to this act, school districts cannot prohibit parental and guardian involvement in critical decisions involving their child and must provide parents and guardians with access to their child's educational records. This act requires school districts to make any well-being questionnaire or health screening tool available to parents and guardians and obtain consent from the child's parent or guardian prior to administration. School districts must also obtain parental or guardian consent prior to a child participating or receiving instruction that addresses sexual orientation or gender identity. This act specifies a process for parents and guardians to resolve complaints and concerns related to the sharing of information relevant to their children or failure by school districts to adhere to provisions of the act. The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Public statements
Last checked Aug 11, 6:23 PM
R · S30
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports concurring with the House amendments because they clarified reporting duties for abuse, required parental consent for health screenings and sexual orientation training, and improved overall language to reduce friction between schools and parents.
H21
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because using subjective terms like negative or positive is unworkable, as parents may interpret changes differently than school staff.
R · H18
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it allows parents access to student records and defines educational health as academic performance, which is interrelated with other aspects of a child's well-being.
D · H13
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because it adds burdensome tasks for teachers and exposes them to lawsuits, which will make recruiting teachers impossible.
H33
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it provides parents with recourse for serious infractions and puts school districts on notice to be vigilant.
R · H50
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because if parental rights are constitutional, the state must enforce them with legal consequences.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because removing government immunity would allow individuals to seek monetary damages from school districts, which is undesirable.
R · H09
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes supporting the amendment because it potentially exposes individual teachers and nurses to civil lawsuits, which goes too far.
R · H04
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it codifies existing legal options for parents to recoup costs when their children suffer physical damage due to breached rights.
If a lawmaker is not listed, we couldn't find a published reason.
Wyoming roll calls
6 roll calls
Official activity
Changes
14 stored
The amendment adds definitions for 'health care service', 'health screening', and 'well-being questionnaire' in the bill.
The amendment adds a new clause to the bill that allows school districts to comply with mandatory reporting laws for abuse and neglect without violating the provisions of the bill.
The amendment removes a previous addition and changes references to 'screening' to 'tool', adding requirements for parental or guardian consent before administering a well-being questionnaire or health screening tool.
The amendment adds definitions and restrictions related to health screening tools used in schools, ensuring that certain types of screenings are not prohibited unless parents specifically withhold consent.
The amendment adds the word 'negative' before certain mentions of 'changes' or 'about' to specify that only negative changes need parental notification.
The amendment adds the word 'routine' before certain mentions of notifications to clarify that only routine information and health matters are covered under parental notification rights.
The amendment modifies the bill to emphasize and clarify that parents' rights and notifications are specifically about their children's education, behavior, health, and other relevant areas.
The amendment requires schools to get written or electronic permission from parents or legal guardians at least one day before a student can participate in any training, course, or class related to sexual orientation or gender identity.
The amendment adds language allowing parents or guardians to file a civil action if their rights are violated and includes new provisions about immunity from tort liability for government entities.
The amendment removes lines 1 through 8 from page 7 of the bill.
This amendment to SF0009 removes references to health care services and screenings in the bill text and adds a new requirement for school districts to define pain, injury, and illness assessments.
The amendment makes changes to the bill's text by removing certain phrases and inserting new words, altering how parents are involved in their children's education decisions.
The amendment makes small changes to the bill's text, including removing certain phrases and correcting word usage.
The amendment changes the phrase 'withhold consent or decline any specific' to 'opt in for' in a bill about parental rights in education.