Scott, Lankford, Foxx Introduce Bill to Protect Parents’ Rights

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, today introduced the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act. The legislation would protect the right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and health care of their children by applying the strict scrutiny test. 

“Parents have a fundamental right to control the upbringing of their child, whether it’s in the classroom or at home,” said Senator Scott. “Yet, far too often, parents are being pushed out of their child’s lives, and kids are paying the price. I will always fight to put parents back in the driver’s seat and ensure they remain the lead decision maker in their child’s life.”

“Parents deserve to raise their children without the looming threat of government infringement. The Families Rights and Responsibilities Act will shield parental rights while instituting a necessary, fundamental check against the government whenever it decides to enforce policies that fail to extend due deference to parental decision-making,” said Congresswoman Foxx. “I’m immensely proud to introduce this legislation alongside Senator Scott to further safeguard the rights of parents.”

“Parents know and love their children best, and they have the right and duty to direct the upbringing and care of their children. Yet parental rights have been eroded by government actions that view children as the property of the state and that exclude parents from critical educational and health care decisions,” said Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Matt Sharp. “ADF applauds Sen. Scott, Sen. Lankford, and Rep. Foxx for introducing the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act, and stepping into the gap to protect the parent-child relationship that forms the bedrock of our society. This bill rightfully restrains federal government overreach by reaffirming the role of parents to guide the upbringing, education, and health care of their children. Now and always, it’s parents who know their children best, not the government.”

The bill is cosponsored by Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), as well as Representatives Randy Weber (R-Texas), John Rose (R-Tenn.), Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), and Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.).

BACKGROUND

The Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act works to:

• Affirm that parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, and health care of their children;
• Prevent the federal government from substantially burdening this fundamental right, without first passing the strict scrutiny test; and
• Allow parents to raise a violation of the bill as a claim or defense in judicial or administrative proceedings at the federal and state levels.

During the previous administration, proposed Title IX regulations would have allowed the federal government to require schools to treat boys as girls, and vice versa, without informing parents. This would have constituted a blatant violation of parental rights, and the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act would provide legal recourse for parents to challenge this violation.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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