Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, is pushing legislation to cement specific rights of parents when it comes to how their kids are raised.
The 14th District representative joins Rep. Jenny Graham, R-Spokane, in the proposed “Parental Bill of Rights,” to ensure parents retain their intended role of decision-maker in their child’s care, well-being, education, and overall upbringing.
“We know that parents are the primary stakeholder in their children’s education and upbringing and all facets of their life. We want Washington state to honor, recognize and accept that,” said Corry.
HB 1601 states:
“The legislature recognizes the crucial role parents play in Washington state and in society as a whole. The legislature finds that parents are the primary stakeholders in their child’s upbringing. As such, the legislature intends to make clear the rights parents have in this state to raise and educate their children in accordance with their own values and beliefs. The legislature further finds that creating transparency regarding these rights provides a necessary reminder for parents and the state of their different roles in the lives of children and that the more information parents have, the better decisions they can make concerning the care and upbringing of their children.”
“Unfortunately, we see all too often out of control legislatures looking to limit parent’s rights and make the state a co-parent to their children and that is simply not acceptable to myself as a parent and millions of other parents across this state,” said Corry. “We want to have a bill that not only honors parents and respects them, but that also shows the state knows that parents are the primary caregiver not the state of Washington.”
Among the rights included in the bill:
- The right to direct the education and care.
- The right to direct the upbringing and the moral or religious training.
- The right to make health care decisions, unless otherwise prohibited by law.
- The right to access and review all medical records of a minor child, unless prohibited by law or if the parent is the subject of an investigation of a crime committed against the minor child and a law enforcement agency or official requests that the information not be released.
- The right to consent in writing before a biometric scan of his or her minor child is made, shared, or stored.
- The right to consent in writing before any record of his or her minor child’s blood or DNA is created, stored, or shared, except as required by general law or authorized pursuant to a court order.
House Bill 1601 has been referred to the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee but has yet to be scheduled for a hearing.
The 105-day 2023 legislative session began Monday, Jan. 9.
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