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Congress·In Committee·about 1 year ago

Congress Proposes Requiring Written Parent Consent for Certain School Activities

Also known as: Parental Oversight and Educational Transparency Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
House
Senate
President

Impacts

Negative Impacts(1)
Federal Employee
Hurts

School administrators face new paperwork requirements to track consent forms and notify parents 14 days before each activity.

Mixed Impacts(1)
Student
Neutral

Students gain privacy protections but may miss activities if parents don't return consent forms on time.

Key Points

  • This bill, introduced by Ms. Hageman, would change federal law to require schools to get written permission from parents before students can participate in specific activities. Currently, schools often just have to notify parents, but this would make 'active consent' the requirement for these events.
  • Schools would have to send a direct notice to parents at least 14 days before the activity is scheduled to happen. If a parent does not sign and return the consent form, the student would not be allowed to take part in that specific activity.
  • The bill focuses on activities like surveys about private topics (such as religious or political beliefs), non-emergency physical exams, or the collection of student data for marketing purposes. It aims to ensure parents have the final say on these sensitive matters.
  • This would apply to local school districts that receive federal funding. It changes the current system from 'opt-out,' where students participate unless a parent objects, to an 'opt-in' system where a parent must proactively give their 'yes' in writing.
EducationCivil RightsData Privacy

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 18, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Feb 18, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

3 articles
Fox News·2 months ago

GOP lawmaker vows to give parents more power as schools 'blatantly' violate students' rights

Rep. Harriet Hageman introduced legislation to strengthen parental rights, targeting schools that allegedly hide information from families. The bill aims to ensure explicit parental consent for sensitive activities and provides a private right of action for families to enforce their rights.

R+
Fox News·2 months ago

GOP lawmaker introduces new bill aimed at giving parents more power in the classroom

Representative Harriet Hageman discusses her new legislation designed to bolster parental oversight in schools. The bill requires schools to obtain written consent before students participate in surveys on private topics or non-emergency medical exams.

R+
Torrington Telegram·about 1 year ago

Congresswoman introduces educational transparency act

Wyoming Representative Harriet Hageman introduced the Parental Oversight and Educational Transparency Act to guarantee parents are informed about school activities. The act mandates schools obtain written consent at least two weeks before specific activities like data collection or surveys.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Parental Oversight and Educational Transparency Act

Bill NumberHR 1416
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.