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Lawmakers hear split testimony on Senate Bill 2244, a broad parental-rights bill for schools and health care
Summary
Senate Bill 2244 would codify parental rights over children's education, medical records and other areas; supporters urged passage citing parental access and transparency, opponents warned of conflicts with existing law, indemnity and litigation exposure and child-protection and attendance consequences.
The North Dakota Senate Judiciary Committee heard hour-long testimony on Senate Bill 2244, a measure sponsored by Sen. Bob Paulson that would codify a broad set of parental rights over a child's upbringing, education and certain health-care decisions.
Sen. Bob Paulson told the committee the bill would enshrine parents’ authority to review curricula, direct moral and religious training, consent to health care and prevent schools from withholding information that reveals a student’s transgender status, subject to narrow exceptions for abuse reporting and court orders. He asked the committee to remove an emergency clause that appeared in the draft.
Supporters included the North Dakota Family Alliance and individual parents. Jacob Thompson of the Family Alliance said the bill "supports that parents are the final arbiters in their child's education,…
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