The Families' Rights and Responsibilities Act establishes parental rights to direct their children's upbringing, education, and health care as a fundamental constitutional right protected from government interference. The bill prohibits federal, state, and local government agencies from substantially burdening these parental rights unless the government can demonstrate a compelling interest of the highest order and that its action is the least restrictive means available. The legislation specifies that parents retain broad authority over their children's education, moral and religious upbringing, and all medical decisions, and allows parents to challenge government actions in federal or state courts and administrative proceedings. The bill includes exceptions only for parental actions that would cause serious physical injury or death to a child, and it requires the government to pay attorneys' fees for parents who successfully challenge violations. The act applies to all federal laws and programs, both existing and future ones, unless a new law explicitly excludes its application.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.