A citizen-led initiative to restore parental rights in Washington public schools will appear before voters in November after Democratic legislative leaders confirmed they will not take action on the measure.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs announced Monday that IL26-001, known as the Parents' Bill of Rights initiative, received enough verified signatures to qualify for consideration. The political committee Let's Go Washington submitted more than 416,000 signatures, exceeding the 308,911 valid signatures required to advance the measure to the legislature.
What the Initiative Would Change
The initiative seeks to reverse changes lawmakers made in 2025 through House Bill 1296, which modified the original Parents' Bill of Rights passed in 2024, according to krem.
Democratic legislators had amended Initiative 2081 by extending the timeline for schools to share student records with parents from 10 business days to 45 days and removing requirements for schools to notify parents before providing medical services or medications to their children.
The changes also eliminated parental access to certain student health and mental health counseling records.
IL26-001 would restore the original parental rights established under Initiative 2081, guaranteeing parents access to instructional materials and school records, requiring notification when schools provide medical services, and allowing parents to opt their children out of surveys and sexual education programs.
Supporters contend these measures are essential for parental involvement in their children's education and medical decisions.
Under Washington law, the legislature has three options when an initiative qualifies: adopt it into law, reject it and send it to voters, or pass an alternative version alongside the original for voters to decide.
Democratic leaders indicated they will not hold hearings or take action on the initiative during the current legislative session, automatically placing it on the November general election ballot, Axios reported.
Broad Support and Ongoing Debate
Brian Heywood, who leads Let's Go Washington, emphasized the initiative has broad bipartisan support, stating that approximately half of petition signers were independents or Democrats.
The measure will appear on the ballot alongside a second Let's Go Washington initiative that seeks to prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls' school sports.
Critics argue the parental rights measure could create safety risks for vulnerable students who rely on school counselors for support when facing challenges at home. Democratic legislators previously defended the 2025 amendments as necessary to comply with existing state laws protecting student medical privacy and ensuring appropriate care.
The initiative represents the third consecutive year Washington lawmakers will address parental rights and student privacy issues related to public education, as per OPB.
