Legislative Update: Parental Rights Around the Country

It is often said: "If you don't know your rights, you have none."

Unfortunately, our Legislators have developed so many statutes that one either needs to hire a lawyer; OR spend many hours researching the statutes relating to their concerns.

So, FYI, here are the State by State of the Legislative Updates relating to Parental Rights Amendment.

Never Give Up,
NFAT Advocates

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Legislative Update: Parental Rights Around the Country

February 27, 2019

Our Resolutionary Campaign is in full force, currently pursuing passage of Parental Rights Amendment Resolutions in six states. In addition, more than a dozen battles are looming in other states, most over bills that would threaten everything from vaccine exemptions to the privacy of your own home.

There’s a lot to cover, so I’ll dive right in.

Parental Rights Amendment Resolutions

Resolutions calling on Congress to send the PRA to the States for ratification are on the table in six states, though only two have been introduced so far. In the lead is SCR 1 in Oklahoma which passed the state Senate on February 13. If the House adds its approval in the coming weeks, Oklahoma will be the seventh state to call on Congress to support the Amendment. (Six states passed resolutions in 2010-2013.)

SCR 106 in Kentucky was introduced by Sen. Steve West on February 14^th. Because Kentucky has deadlines for bills but not for resolutions, the latter often sit until near the end of the session, so “no news” at this point is not necessarily bad news; we’ll have to be patient. Resolutions in Kentucky have been known to pass in as little as three days.

In three other states—Florida, Texas, and West Virginia—we have lead sponsors but have not yet seen the resolutions introduced. And an effort in South Carolina is under way, but we don’t have a sponsor there yet.

Parental Rights Statutes

The lead sponsor for our resolution in Florida is also looking to champion a bill that would preserve parental rights under Florida law. She plans to introduce both together once they are properly drafted and ready to go.

In Kentucky, the same Sen. West introduced SB 152, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday (Feb. 21). Some of the language is still being ironed out through anticipated floor amendments before the final Senate vote, after which the bill will move to the House. ParentalRights.org does not have volunteers “on the ground” in Frankfort, but we are actively working with key allies to promote this work.

Vaccine Exemptions

Vaccines are perhaps the most contentious aspect of the parental rights issue. We do not hold a position on the medical efficacy or safety of vaccines, but we are passionate about the liberty of parents to make informed medical decisions for their children.

The following states are currently considering legislation that would end vaccine exemptions or make them more challenging for philosophical or religious reasons:

Minnesota SF 1520 would remove all exemptions for “conscientiously held beliefs,” meaning religious or philosophical exemptions. (Photo above shows families at a rally in St. Paul on Feb. 25 to oppose SF 1520. Photo credit: Angie Gallagher.)

Vermont HB 238 would eliminate religious exemptions for all vaccines.

New Jersey SB 3818 would make it more difficult to claim a religious exemption for vaccines.

Kentucky SB 133 would eliminate vaccine exemptions for college students. (This is outside our normal focus, but the intersect is those students who are still under the age of 18 and who, with their parents, oppose the vaccines.)

Maine LD 798 would eliminate all philosophical or religious exemptions. Our allies at Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME) just alerted us that it is scheduled for committee on March 13 at 1:00 pm in Room 208 of the Cross Building in Augusta. (Be watching for further updates.)

Nevada AB123 would not eliminate philosophical or religious exemptions, but would require parents to file a letter of exemption every year instead of just once, which may create an additional inconvenience for parents who choose to exercise that right.

Oregon HB 3063 would remove philosophical or religious exemptions to any vaccinations.

But Wait…

Although  Iowa’s HF 206, filed by Rep. Mascher, would eliminate religious exemptions, SF 239, filed by Sens. Guth and Zaun, would preserve these exemptions and allow for philosophical exemptions as well.

And Arizona’s legislature is considering HB 2470, HB 2471, and HB 2472, a series of bills by Rep. Nancy Barto that would strengthen the right of parents to make informed decisions for their children regarding vaccination and antibody titer testing (used to identify whether a child has antibodies for a particular disease). Two of these bills (HB 2471 and 2472) appear poised for a vote in the House soon.

Home Visitation Programs

Another troubling trend on the rise is home visitation programs around the country. Where these programs are voluntary, they do not threaten parental rights. In some states, though, the intention seems to be to put a government agent into the home of every newborn child, whether the parents want it or not. And these agents are, of course, mandatory reporters, which renders their visit a forensic search.

The home visitation bills we are watching, whether for voluntary or mandatory visits, include the following:

Iowa SF 111 and New Hampshire SB 274 provide newborn home visitation for any child or family under Medicaid.

Oregon SB 526 calls on the Oregon Health Authority to study home visits and report to an interim health care committee of the Legislative Assembly later this year. Study bills are often precursors to actual changes in law, and Oregon Governor Brown already communicated in her budget proposal that she would like to make these visits “universal.”

Washington’s “Welcome to Washington Baby Act,” SB 5683, would establish universal home visiting programs to link families of newborns to state services and resources. At present the measure is voluntary, but the trend especially in Washington and neighboring Oregon seems to be toward more and not less intrusion.

Conclusion

In summary, there is a lot going on throughout the states that would affect your right to make the best decision for your child. As we watch these and other threatening or promising bills, we invite you to watch with us and alert us if you learn any of these are moving. We would also ask you to standby for alerts that might call on you to contact your lawmakers to support any good bill or oppose the bad.

Thank you for standing with us as we look to protect your children by empowering you, their parents, to make the vital decisions that will shape them for life!

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Executive Director

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Learn "How To Win In     Court" ... without a lawyer  

May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,

 GranPa Chuck

  "We the "Little" People"

     My Family Reform Blog
  My Family Rights Affiliation 

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  Another Great Document for Your Library--Now Available
"Standing in the Shadow of the Law", Special Edition

(Best Reference in Plain English to set up your Law Book)

Drama (and Victory) in the Wyoming Senate

Prime example of just a Few working with Their legislators

Another Post from the Parental Rights Organization, whose vision is to :

Empower Parents to Protect Children

May we find strength in our Higher Power,

Granpa Chuck

 National Team Leader

National Family Advocacy Team
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Read On>>>

Drama (and Victory) in the Wyoming Senate

March 7, 2017 We were steps from the finish line, yet it suddenly appeared victory would be snatched from our grasp. The fate of House Bill 153 on Parental Rights in the Wyoming Senate came down to the last minute, and tested our ability – your ability – to respond quickly. The drama began Thursday, February 23, when volunteer State Coordinator Jan Loftus alerted us that time was running out: Rep. Mark Jennings had expertly guided House bill 153 to passage in the Wyoming House, 50-7, in January. But if it wasn’t placed on the Senate calendar by the next day (Feb. 24), there wouldn’t be time for it to pass. So we alerted our Wyoming supporters, who contacted the senators in charge of scheduling and urged them to hear the bill. Rep. Jennings and some of his colleagues reached out as well. By Thursday night, the bill was scheduled for first read on Friday. Friday morning I had the privilege of speaking with Sen. Kinskey, who would speak for the bill in the Senate. We discussed areas of pushback he could anticipate, such as a clear understanding of the Troxel Supreme Court case that makes a bill like this necessary. Friday afternoon, after a floor debate that included support from Sen. Anthony Bouchard and the answers we’d worked out with Sen. Kinskey, the bill passed on first reading by a vote of 17-10. It looked like a victory, but it would not pass final (3rd) reading if the Senate remained split. Changes would have to be made by the next session day – and now it was Friday night. The weekend involved emails between ParentalRights.org and our contacts in Wyoming. How could we respond to those who feared parents suing schools over curriculum? Would this harm Wyoming’s grandparent visitation law? Could this or that be amended or cut? Finally, 2nd reading on Monday saw an amended version of HB 153 that would satisfy most of the senators who had concerns, without hurting the purpose of the measure. The aim of HB 153 – to secure parental rights as fundamental rights protected by strict judicial scrutiny – remained within reach. And it passed 2nd reading. We were one step away from victory! Then came the last-second plot twist. Tuesday, 11:40 a.m. Eastern Time (9:40 a.m. in Wyoming) we got word that an amendment would be proposed to strip out “Section B” of the bill – the section containing strict scrutiny protection. We had to get pressure on senators to reject the amendment. HB 153 without Section B would serve no purpose at all. But it was already too late; the session would start in 20 minutes. We knew Sen. Kinskey would stand firm to protect the purpose of the bill. And Sen. Bouchard knew (he asked, so we told him) that if the bill lost Section B, we saw no reason to pass it. So he, too, would stand against the effort to change it. But where would the support they needed come from? There was no way to get the message out in time, so we sent it anyway and hoped for a miracle. Then we got one. Bills up for 2nd and 3rd reading are generally taken up before lunchtime, but that day things moved slowly. And since HB 153 was the only contested bill up for 3rd reading, it was shoved to the bottom of the pile. That means senators broke for lunch – and got to hear from their constituents – before the bill came up for discussion. We don’t know how many emails the senators received. We do know that the threatened amendment was brought to the floor Tuesday afternoon and failed, 9 in favor to 21 against. Then HB 153, with strict scrutiny still intact, received its final Senate vote and passed 25 to 5. Wyoming’s parental rights bill is not law yet. Though the House voted March 1 to concur with the Senate’s amended version by a vote of 53-7, it still awaits the governor’s signature. [Breaking: The governor has scheduled a bill signing for HB 153 on Thursday, March 9, at 1:30 p.m.] But we believe the real moment of decision was Tuesday afternoon. Wyoming supporters came through and made their voices heard. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with parental rights heroes like House sponsor Mark Jennings, Senators kinskey and Bouchard, and each of our Wyoming supporters who called or emailed last week. Together we are able to accomplish great things for the cause of families and parental rights! I am also grateful for each one of you. When we ask you to email or call, you get the job done. When we need you to alert us to bad bills or help us champion good ones, you rise to the occasion. And your financial support is literally the only means for our survival. Our organization would not exist without you! So, thank you for standing with us as we champion parental rights in the states and in the U.S. Congress. The prize remains before us; let’s go take it! Sincerely, Michael Ramey Director of Communications & Research Share This Online

Learn "How To Win In Court" ... without a lawyer  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May you find Strength in Your Higher Power, GranPa Chuck Researcher, Editor, Publisher, Collector