‘Parents Bill of Rights’ initiative gains unanimous approval in WA Senate

OLYMPIA — The Washington Senate dolled out a unanimous vote Monday to pass a proposed initiative to clarify parental rights regarding their children’s education and medical records in public schools.  In the House of Representatives, the initiative received a vote of 82-15. 

“Much of what we heard was that over 90% of the things that are already assigned rights to parents already do exist.” Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. “However, it is possible that some of the language is unclear and we have the opportunity now to pass this into law and then clarify anything that may be somewhat ambiguous to make sure we are being very exact in our wording.” 

Initiative 2081, referred to as the "Parents’ Bill of Rights," undergoes debate in both the Senate and the House. Should it successfully pass, the legislation aims to institute a comprehensive array of rights for parents and legal guardians, granting them the authority to exempt their children from assignments about inquiries into sex education or religion. 

The proposed initiative meticulously details 15 specified rights that pertain to parents and legal guardians of students attending public schools and those aged below 18.

This initiative is one of six Let’s Go Washington initiatives currently under consideration in Olympia. The initiative gathered over 440,000 signatures. Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, submitted the proposal to the Secretary of State’s Office in May 2023.  

The rights the proposed initiative outlines include:

Access to materials. Parents and legal guardians will have the right to examine curriculum, and textbooks used in their child’s classroom. 

The parental right to have access to public school records. Parents will have access to either printed or electronic copies of their student’s records within 10 days of a written request. This includes academic records, vocational counseling, screening records and any other record regarding the students’ files.

Parents are entitled to receive notifications concerning medical interventions that may impact their finances or require follow-up care beyond school hours. 

Parents will be notified when a child is removed from campus without parental permission in an attempt to ensure parents are promptly informed about a child’s whereabouts.

Students will not be discriminated against based on their family’s religious beliefs. Parents can opt their children out of class discussions or lectures regarding sex education concerning family beliefs.

Parents and guardians will have access to a copy of a school calendar, fee information and a description of the dress code or uniform policy to streamline transparency in education.

Children’s parents or guardians will be notified if their child’s academic performance will lead to failure to progress to the next grade level. Along with the notification parents would be offered an in-person meeting with teachers to discuss strategies for academic improvement.

“There is some confusion among parents and people about what rights they have,” said Walsh. “This initiative seeks to clarify those rights and let parents know in plain straightforward terms what they can expect, what they can do, and what they know in raising their children.”

Some organizations raised concerns during a public hearing including the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington Education Association. They said a majority of the rights in the proposed initiative are already in existing law.

“Much of what is included in this initiative is already required by state and federal law, however, some of the languages is unclear which could lead to confusion or implementation challenges at the local level,” said OSPI Chief Legal and Civil Rights Officer Matt Shultz.

The Washington Education Association said the legislature must approach the initiative with caution and include resources and guidance to prevent harm to students.

“We are concerned that this proposed initiative is already causing LGBTQ+ students to feel anxious, vulnerable and targeted. School districts need to be careful as they consider this legislation so no student or groups of students are harmed if this is enacted,” said Nasue Nishida, a lobbyist for the Washington Education Association. 

Three out of the six initiatives did not receive a hearing: the initiative to repeal the capital gains tax, Initiative 2117 to repeal the Climate Commitment Act, and the initiative to opt out of the WA Cares long-term care insurance plan. All three initiatives will become law 90 days after the Legislature adjourns on March 7. Gov. Inslee will not have the ability to veto them. 

All three initiatives introduced to the legislature passed through the Senate including two more initiatives, one to remove limits on police car chases and outline parents' rights to oversee their children’s records. 

Under Washington law, initiatives that fail in the legislature or do not get a hearing in the legislature are automatically placed on the November ballot for voters to decide on. Additionally, citizen-submitted initiatives such as those discussed in this story that do pass the legislature are automatically made into law as written and the governor may not veto the initiative.