California lawmakers made national headlines in recent weeks as they put into place a law banning school district parental notification policies. Pennsylvania Democrats have introduced similar bills this year, hoping to join California in its first-in-the-nation law.
The new law’s ban will override local rules that require school officials to disclose gender transitions to parents. While California’s is the only law banning schools from “disclos[ing] any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person,” including parents, six states have laws requiring that school officials notify parents if their child is seeking or undergoing a gender transition at school.
“Teachers should not be the gender police and violate the trust and safety of the students in their classrooms,” said Democrat Assemblyman Chris Ward of San Diego. “Parents should be talking to their children, and the decision for a student to come out to their family members should be on their own terms.”
California Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli, an opponent of the law, said that it, “endangers children by excluding parents from important matters impacting their child’s health and welfare at school.”
In Pennsylvania, Democrat members of the state House have proposed similar legislation. House Bill 1999 would require school districts to make policies that, “respect the student’s privacy of the transition from other students, school faculty, and parents.” This language would have the same effect as California’s requirement that student information about sex and gender matters may not be shared unless explicit permission is granted by the student.
Elon Musk, billionaire owner of X.com and SpaceX, announced that the latter company would be moving its headquarters from California in response to the law’s passage. “This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas,” he stated.
This is the final straw.
Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas. https://t.co/cpWUDgBWFe
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 16, 2024
One California school district that has a parental notification policy vowed to fight the new law. “School officials do not have the right to keep secrets from parents, but parents do have a constitutional right to know what their minor children are doing at school,” Emily Rae, a lawyer representing the Chino Valley Unified School District, said in a statement.
The California law takes effect in January 2025. The Pennsylvania House has not yet scheduled votes on the Democrats’ similar legislation.
