The Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing regarding SB 2749, the "Families' Rights and Responsibilities Act" tomorrow, February 27, 2024, at 3:00 CST.
As outlined in greater detail here, the legislation enshrines in law the fundamental rights of parents concerning the education and physical and mental health of their children. The legislation was introduced by Tennessee state senator Ferrell Haile.
"This bill codifies the fundamental rights of parents to direct and control their children's upbringing," said Convention of States Action (COSA) Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs Rita Peters.
In part, the bill requires that parents must consent to any medical decisions that are made on behalf of a student, to biometric scans and any other biological data gathering, and to the production and sharing of videos or voice recordings of students that are produced by schools.
The bill also permits parents to excuse their children from attendance at school for religious reasons and actively participate in parent-teacher groups and other school-sanctioned organizations.
SB 2749 establishes fundamental principles of parental rights and self-government in Tennessee law. As Peters said, "Raising children is the province of parents–not the state."
A link to the committee's streaming video is provided here.
