Minn. committee adopts amendment to parental-rights bill and re-refers HF22 to education policy committee

Representative Dawn Gilman introduced House File 22, which she said ‘‘establishes a broad parental rights to direct the education, upbringing, religious instruction, health, and privacy of a child without government interference.’’ The committee adopted an author's A1 amendment that, according to Gilman and a legal testifier, adds a ‘‘standard of review that requires any violation of parental rights to satisfy the most stringent legal standards.’’ After public testimony and member discussion, the committee voted to re-refer HF22 to the House Education Policy Committee.

Why it matters: The bill would codify parental authority over a wide set of matters — from curricula to health decisions — and the amendment raises the legal bar for government actions that could be challenged in court. Supporters said the proposal would give parents clarity and protect families; opponents — including school and child-protection professionals — warned it could complicate routine education and safety practices and could have unintended effects in child-protection cases.

The adopted A1 amendment and immediate effect Representative Gilman told the committee the A1 amendment ‘‘will add a standard of review that requires any violation of parental rights to satisfy the most stringent legal standards.’’ Legal testimony in the hearing described that standard as strict scrutiny: William Wagner, vice president of the Parental Rights Foundation and a former federal judge, told the committee that ‘‘a court applies what's called strict scrutiny when reviewing government actions that…