WA governor signs parental 'bill of rights' rewrite
Last edited Wed May 21, 2025, 04:28 PM - Edit history (1)
The parental “bill of rights” overhaul, one of the most divisive bills approved during this year’s Washington state legislative session, was signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday.
The legislation stems from Initiative 2081, a citizen initiative lawmakers approved last year that granted certain rights to the parents of public school students under age 18. It allowed parents to easily access school materials, their child’s medical records, and promised immediate notification if a child is involved in a crime.
Democrats said they would write a “clean-up bill” if the initiative clashed with other state and federal laws. But Republicans said the law signed Monday goes much further and undermines the initiative, which hundreds of thousands of voters signed on in support of in 2023.
The law contains an emergency clause. This will allow it to take effect immediately, and it eliminates the possibility of a referendum that would give voters a chance to weigh in on the law. Democratic lawmakers have said the emergency clause would help provide schools more clarity right away. Republicans criticize it as a ploy to block any referendum effort.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/05/20/wa-governor-signs-parental-bill-of-rights-rewrite/