South Congaree, SC 11/16/2021 (Paul Kirby) – Representative R.J. May of SC House District 88 has pre-filed a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would prohibit the government from interfering with parents’ rights in the upbringing of their children in most cases. This bill, CURRENTLY called the Parent’s Bill of Rights, specifically addresses a parent’s rights regarding decisions in their children’s education, health care, and mental health care except in limited circumstances.
SEE THE FULL TEXT HERE:
The bill was drafted in response to situations that have arisen across America. Specifically, one of those situations involves school boards and school administrators adopting curriculum that would include controversial issues like Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theorist hold that racism is inherent in the law and legal institutions of the United States insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans (britannica.com). Many parents hold that this theory and teaching is incorrect and is in fact itself a racist belief. Those opposing parents feel that racism is not inherent but in fact is a poor choice by individuals, therefore they don’t want their children taught this alt-left theory in their public schools.
The Parents Bill of Rights would also increase the age of consent regarding a medical provider giving a minor certain health care service without parental knowledge and approval. The age of consent would be changed to 18-years-old. As an example, a minor would have to obtain parental consent before receiving care for reproductive issues. The draft bill also specifically says that this bill and the penalties it prescribes would have to be followed notwithstanding a declared state of emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once a bill is pre-filed, there is no guarantee that it will ever make it to the legislative floor to be debated. In order to get this passed, May will need to work within the House of Representatives and then with senators to gain additional support. If that’s done, leadership could assign it to the appropriate committee. If it’s voted out of committee, it would once again be the responsibility of the leadership to place it on the legislative calendar for debate and a vote.
If citizens feel strongly that this Parents’ Bill of Rights should become law, they will need to contact their representative and tell them how important it is to them. Often, public pressure is one way to ensure that a bill makes it through the process and becomes law.
