'Parental Bill of Rights' passes unanimously in OK Senate

HB 1384 is headed back to the Oklahoma House of Representatives after the bill passed the Senate last week by a 43-0 vote.

It’s also known as the “Parents Bill of Rights.”

The proposal is authored by Sen. AJ Griffin, R-Guthrie, and Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City.

“The family is the most basic unit of society,” Griffin said.  “This bill simply clarifies that parents have the fundamental right to decide how to raise their children, and that includes the right to make decisions about their education, their religious training, and their medical and mental health care.”

Griffin said a recent case in Boston was a good example of attempts to erode parental rights in this country.

The hospital wanted to treat a girl for mental illness.

The parents wanted to treat their daughter for a physical illness that had been diagnosed by a reputable physician.

The hospital asked the state to terminate the parents’ rights.  The court sided with the hospital.

Senator Griffin called that decision shocking.

Click here to watch interview with the father on FOX News.

“This legislation bolsters the fundamental right of Oklahoma parents to decide how to raise their children,” Griffin said.

Below is a summary of the bill:

An Act relating to parental rights; creating the Parents'Bill of Rights; prohibiting the state from infringing upon parental rights unless certain criteria is met; defining term; listing rights which are reserved to the parent; providing exception; construing provision; proscribing limitation or denial of parental rights; restricting applicability in certain cases; directing the board of education of a school district to develop certain policy; providing items to be included in the policy; listing parental rights related to education; allowing board to provide policy in electronic form; requiring parent to submit a written request for information at certain time; directing principal or superintendent to deliver information within certain time; providing for written request to board in certain cases; directing board to consider request; prohibiting surgical procedure on minor without parental consent; providing exception; defining term; providing exception; prescribing penalty for violation; prohibiting mental health evaluation of minor without parental consent; providing exception; prescribing penalty for violation; providing for codification; and providing an effective date.