Washington State is at the center of a heated debate over parental rights after Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) signed House Bill 1296 into law on Tuesday.
The legislation reverses critical aspects of Initiative 2081, a voter-approved measure passed last year, igniting backlash from Republican lawmakers, parent advocacy groups and conservative figures nationwide, The Post Millennial reports.
Initiative 2081 granted parents 15 specific rights related to their children’s education and welfare in public schools, including timely notifications regarding academic, medical, safety and law enforcement matters.
It also guaranteed parental access to their children’s educational and medical records.
However, HB 1296, passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, significantly diminishes these protections.
One of the most controversial elements of the bill allows schools to delay informing parents about their children’s status while entirely removing parental access to medical and mental health records provided by government employees in schools.
The bill also removes the requirement to notify parents immediately when their child receives medical services at school.
Additionally, HB 1296 permits government employees up to two days to notify parents if their child was the victim of a crime or s*xual assault on school grounds.
The law further creates complex legal and bureaucratic hurdles for parents trying to enforce their rights under the original initiative.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is granted expanded authority to penalize school districts that fail to comply.
The legislation passed strictly on party lines, with all Republican legislators voting against it.
Rep. Travis Couture (R-Allyn), a vocal opponent, called the bill “a slap in the face to democracy” and criticized Democrats for overturning a measure they had previously supported.
“We have seen a stunning amount of s*xual misconduct and s*xual assaults by educators in our schools just in the last year,” he said, per TPM.
He had proposed an amendment to require immediate parental notification if a student was s*xually abused by a school employee, but Democrats rejected it.
The citizen-led group Let’s Go Washington, which led the original initiative campaign, sharply criticized the new law.
Founder Brian Heywood told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “This is a direct assault on parents and a damnation of Governor Ferguson’s claim to be a moderate for Washingtonians.”
Heywood pledged, “We will do everything in our power to reverse this gutting of the Parental Rights Bill.”
The bill has drawn attention far beyond Washington. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) labeled the changes “utterly insane.”
President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social, claiming, “Washington State Democrats voted not to inform parents if a child is s*xually abused by a school employee.”
Before Initiative 2081 took effect last June, it faced legal challenges. In May, the ACLU and other groups sued, arguing the measure’s broad and vague language could harm marginalized youth.
Although the lawsuit was dismissed, opposition from civil rights groups remains strong.
With HB 1296 now law, the battle over parental rights, transparency in schools and student safety is far from over in Washington State.
