Parental Rights Over the Education and Care of Their Kids Act
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2616, the so-called Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, because the name bears little resemblance to what the bill actually does.
What it does is require schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or changing a student's sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms, and that is for all students in middle school or elementary school.
This bill would prohibit the use of Federal funds to teach so-called gender ideology, whatever that is. Specifically, it bars any discussion of transgender people or topics in the classroom, banning books with transgender characters or that even discuss the existence of transgender people.
It is well established in statute that the States and districts determine their curriculum without interference from the Federal Government. This bill takes away State and local control of curriculum in education, the very thing that the current administration claims they are giving back to States by illegally dismantling the Department of Education.
Parental involvement is important, and I support that. It works in virtually all cases, but this bill is not about involvement. It is about Federal coercion forcing schools into situations where they may have to disclose sensitive information about a student, even when they know it could put that child's safety at risk.
It goes beyond theory. It creates absurd situations. For example, my name is Robert. I go by Bobby. Under this bill, my middle school coach would need parental permission before listing me as Bobby on the sports roster. What if they write ``Rob'' instead? Would they have to go back and get parental consent?
This bill fails to clarify key questions, such as whether both parents must be notified and give permission.
Who will oversee these requirements if this administration continues illegally dismantling the Department of Education?
What it does make clear is that if the school gets it wrong, then they risk losing Federal funding. That is not protecting kids. It won't make trans students disappear. It is just micromanaging schools and wasting everybody's time.
This bill does nothing to improve literacy, improve teacher shortages, promote safe learning environments, support student mental health, or otherwise improve education. The bill is unnecessary, overbroad, and potentially harmful.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose it, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia.
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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Balint).
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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter opposing the bill from PFLAG. They say that this harmful bill would strip schools of Federal funds for even acknowledging the existence of transgender people and would make schools less safe for all students by putting barriers between vulnerable students, their teachers, counselors, and other trusted adults. PFLAG National, Washington, DC, May 20, 2026. House Democratic Members C/O: House Democratic Legislative Directors and Education
Staff RE Vote NO on H.R. 2616.
To whom it may concern: PFLAG National, the nation's largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them, urges all Representatives to vote NO on H.R. 2616.
This harmful bill would strip schools of federal funds for even acknowledging the existence of transgender people and would make school less safe for all students by putting barriers between vulnerable students, their teachers, counselors and other trusted adults.
America is a country of freedom of speech and freedom of ideas. Those freedoms end when politicians start banning books and censoring curriculum simply because some people find them uncomfortable. Children deserve an honest and accurate education that enables them to learn about diverse identities and experiences to help create a better future.
A public-school education helps students prepare for their future by encouraging curiosity and critical thinking through math and science, art and music, history and literature. But H.R. 2616 would force schools to purge books from their libraries that merely acknowledge that transgender people exist. It sets a dangerous precedent when politicians simply start censoring school content and books they don't like.
The politicians and groups behind these bills want to use our laws to control what students can and cannot read, what they can and cannot learn, and--most troublingly--who they can and cannot be. Our schools should protect all students-- including LGBTQ students--so they can learn and thrive in a safe environment where they can see themselves reflected in the books they read.
H.R. 2616 also forces school counselors, teachers, and other staff to out transgender children to their parents, regardless of the child's wishes and well-being. What this bill does is tell every student, LGBTQ+ or not, that they cannot trust the adults at school.
Kids who have one trusted adult in their life are more likely to reach out for help when they need it and less likely to engage in harmful or self-harming behaviors. For LGBTQ+ youth, the process of coming out is deeply personal and involves risk--because 4 in 5 LGBTQ+ youth face stigma, discrimination and harm at school and 2 in 5 youth who are homeless are LGBTQ+ kids whose parents rejected them. Having a trained, trusted adult who can help a student navigate the coming out process safely, including helping them develop a safety plan to bring in their parents, is vital to an LGBTQ+ youth's safety. H.R. 2616 yanks their safety net away.
Please OPPOSE H.R. 2616 and get back to work ensuring ALL students can get a quality public education. Sincerely, Brian K. Bond, CEO, PFLAG National.
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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record a letter from Advocates for Trans Equality, which says, in part, the bill would harm transgender and nonbinary students in kindergarten through 8th grade by erecting barriers to best-practice student supports, such as recognizing a student's name, pronouns, and providing access to appropriate sex-based facilities. The bill would also impose broad unconstitutional limits on the speech and academic freedom of students and educators alike, while prohibiting any discussion of ``gender ideology,'' a term coined by anti-trans activists to dehumanize trans people. Advocates for Trans Equality, May 20, 2026.
Dear Members of Congress: On behalf of your transgender constituents and their allies, Advocates for Trans Equality urges Members of Congress to vote NO on H.R. 2616. This bill would harm transgender and nonbinary students in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade by erecting barriers to best- practice student supports, such as recognizing a student's name and pronouns and providing access to appropriate sex- based facilities. The bill would also impose broad unconstitutional limits on the speech and academic freedom of students and educators alike by prohibiting any discussion of ``gender ideology,'' a term coined by anti-trans activists to dehumanize trans people.
Trans students are being driven out of traditional school settings by pervasive harassment and discrimination. Survey data has found that 71 percent of trans and nonbinary students have felt unsafe at school due to their LGBTQI+ identity and that 7 percent of LGBTQI+ students have changed schools due to concerns about safety and comfort. This bill will make it harder for educators to provide trans students support in the form of respecting a student's pronouns and name, which data shows produces better mental health outcomes for trans youth. Moreover, the bill could force schools to prohibit trans students who cannot obtain parental consent from using the appropriate facilities, exposing transgender students to higher risk of sexual assault. This, in turn, results in a less safe educational environment for all. Trans students must have access to the support and protection necessary for them to enjoy a quality public education.
The bill goes further by censoring any discussion of transgender identity at any K-12 school--an unprecedented attack on the free speech and academic freedom of students and educators. No school curriculum can be complete without some acknowledgement of transgender people, who have always been a part of North American history, predating the arrival of European colonists. Transgender children will exist regardless of whether their schools acknowledge them. This bill would further stigmatize and isolate them by all but erasing them from their very own classrooms. This is a patently unconstitutional, un-American restriction of free speech that will profoundly harm vulnerable children if passed.
Advocates for Trans Equality urges every Member of Congress to defend civil liberties and the right of every student to a safe learning environment and a quality education by voting NO on H.R. 2616. Sincerely, Advocates for Trans Equality.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, we should be asking who this bill actually helps. It is not needed for most situations where you can involve parents in constructive dialogue about a student, but it does not help students who confide in a trusted teacher because they feel unsafe at home. It does not help educators trying to create a supportive learning environment. It does not help students already stretched thin and trying to meet students' real needs.
What it does is impose a rigid Federal mandate that ignores context, disregards student safety, and prioritizes politics over people.
We can support parents without putting children at risk. We can respect local control without Federal overreach. We should be focused on legislation that improves students' lives, not bills that create new problems.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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