Senate Education Committee Hears SB 96 on ‘Honesty and Transparency in Education Act’; Advocates Say Language Could Endanger Students

Sen. Tim Lang, sponsor: Sen. Tim Lang introduced SB 96, the Honesty and Transparency in Education Act, telling the Senate Education Committee the bill "is really clear and really simple" and is intended to "establish a default statewide standard for all school districts in the state on how they respond to parents." Lang said the one-page bill would set timelines for written parental requests and allow withholding of information only where disclosure would "create or increase the risk to a child," in which case staff would be required to file a report with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Why it matters: Witnesses from mental-health and LGBTQ organizations, teachers' unions and parents said the bill’s undefined standard—requiring answers that are "completely and honestly" given—could chill educator–student relationships and put certain students at risk. Testimony cited existing mandatory-reporting law and federal rules on parental consent for mental-health services as points of tension with the proposed language.

Supporters' framing: Anne…