The bill would make federal funding for elementary and secondary schools conditional on following rules about students under 18 and gender transition. Schools would need express parental consent before staff provide accommodations intended to affirm a student's identity when it differs from the student's sex, or otherwise help the student adopt that identity. Staff could not encourage students to hide related information from parents, withhold such information, or pressure students or parents to pursue interventions. The bill also requires schools to submit written policies, share them with families, and post them publicly. Parents or guardians adversely affected by a violation, and the U.S. Attorney General, could bring a civil action. Courts could order relief, including legal fees for a winning parent and payment for certain treatment or therapy.
If enacted, schools receiving federal funds would have to follow these requirements for students under 18. Parents or guardians adversely affected by a violation could sue without first using available administrative remedies. The bill allows a school employee to contact appropriate authorities about an imminent safety threat when the employee knows or reasonably suspects abuse.
No publicly available information on the bill's overall costs. Courts could award attorney's fees and litigation costs to a prevailing parent or guardian and could order payment for certain treatment or therapy. A defendant could receive attorney's fees if the court finds the case was frivolous.
The bill's findings state that schools should not hide information from parents or exclude them from decisions about their children, and that parental authority should be protected.
No publicly available information.