Minnesota lawmakers are considering a Parent’s Bill of Rights. A version was introduced into the House last Thursday and it’s first committee hearing was held this week.

Nationally, advocates of these bills have called for more oversight of what’s in school libraries, instruction of topics related to race, sexual orientation and gender identity, and medical care, including vaccinations.

The push for Parent’s Bills of Rights gained momentum after the pandemic. At least 18 states have adopted some version of it, according to the Parental Rights Foundation, which is also supporting the Minnesota bill. Project 2025 calls for a national Parent’s Bill of Rights.

Previous attempts to pass similar legislation have failed in Minnesota. Republican Minnesota Representative Dawn Gillman hopes this year the bill she authored will get bipartisan support.

“It basically is just ensuring the parent’s responsibility goes back onto the parents,” said Gillman, a mother of five. “We’re the stopgap. My responsibility is to ensure the safety of my kids.”

The bill establishes that rights are reserved to a parent of a minor child “without obstruction or interference from this state, any political subdivision of this state, or any other governmental entity or institution.”

It lists 12 rights, including a parent’s right to direct the child’s education, access school records, direct moral or religious training, access all medical records, and consent in writing before any physical or mental health exams take place.

Several parents and organizations spoke in support of the legislation during Wednesday’s House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee meeting.

“Parents belong in every place where decisions about their children are being made and I invite you to consider at no other time in our history has this fundamental truth been called into question until very recently as the rise of gender activism and critical theory have overtaken policy discussions,” said Cristine Trooein, the executive director of Minnesota Parents Alliance. “The overstepping and flagrant violations of parent’s rights are happening with alarming frequency.”

It drew concerns, however, from Education Minnesota.

“How would a teacher ever know if they are ‘directing the upbringing of a child’ or just providing behavioral support?” testified Meg Luger Nikolai, with Education Minnesota. “The bill could subject members of my organization to summary termination and other discipline merely for doing their jobs.”

There were also questions raised by DFL lawmakers. Representative Kim Hicks testified younger children should be differentiated from teenagers.

“I really, really, really believe 15, 16, 17-year-olds should be able to have private conversations with doctors and therapists,” said Hicks.

Representative Jessica Hanson questioned what the legislation would mean for single parents.

“I am very concerned about the two-parent consent necessary for health care decisions,” she said, while also raising concerns about the implications for exams in cases of abuse. “This may provide cover for people who are abusing children.”

The bill includes a provision that states it does not authorize or allow a parent to abuse or neglect a minor child in violation of state law.

“This bill protects children,” said Gillman, who argued it also creates more transparency.