***Update 3/16/22 – The House Health Subcommittee and Senate Education Committee deferred action again. HB2451 is on the calendar for the House Health Subcommittee for 3/22/22. SB2360 has been placed on the Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/16/22. The article has been updated to reflect this change.***
Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov / public domain / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
“The Parent Bill of Rights Act” is making its way through the Tennessee General Assembly and will be heard in both the House Health Subcommittee and the Senate Education Committee next week.
House Bill 2451 (HB2451), sponsored by Representative Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster-District 40), and Senate Bill 2360 (SB2360), sponsored by Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16) would require Local Education Agencies to allow parents to have access to certain information, including teachers’ names, titles of books available in school libraries, copies of teachers’ manuals, and copies of textbooks.
The bill would also require that school systems get parental permission in writing before students are allowed to participate in any extracurricular activity, family life lesson, field trip, assembly, or presentation from a guest speaker.
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It would also prevent certain healthcare providers from providing any sort of medical treatment to minors without parental consent or a court order.
Additionally, it would require school districts to provide parents with the names of any person or organization who receives funding from or contracts with the LEA, would allow parents to visit their children at any time during the school day and would allow them to observe their child’s classroom, and see the content of any curriculum (including teachers’ manuals).
Finally, LEAs would be required to notify parents of any incidents regarding student safety that may occur in the school and if any medical treatment is provided to a student.
If passed, the act would go into effect for the 2022-2023 school year.
Note from the Tennessee Conservative: Just a reminder that many good Conservative bills die in subcommittees and committees before they ever see the light of day on the House or Senate floor.
If you support this bill, contact the House subcommittee members and Senate committee members in advance of their meeting. The contact information for the Republican members (who hold the super-majority vote) can be found below.
House Health Subcommittee
Bob Ramsey (chair) – rep.bob.ramsey@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3560
Clark Boyd – rep.clark.boyd@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-7086
Daniel Byrd – rep.daniel.byrd@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2190
Mark Hall – rep.mark.hall@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1350
Sabi Kumar – rep.sabi.kumar@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2860
Pat Marsh – rep.pat.marsh@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6824
Paul Sherrell – rep.paul.sherrell@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1963
Robin Smith – rep.robin.smith@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2548
Bryan Terry – rep.bryan.terry@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2180
Senate Education Committee
Jon Lundberg (Acting Chair) – sen.jon.lundberg@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-5761
Mike Bell – sen.mike.bell@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1946
Rusty Crowe – sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2468
Ferrell Haile – sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1999
Joey Hensley – sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3100
Brian Kelsey – sen.brian.kelsey@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3036
Bill Powers – sen.bill.powers@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2374
Dawn White – sen.dawn.white@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6853
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
