Parental Bill of Rights

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Specializes in Peds.
Parental Bill of Rights

Is anyone making changes to their clinic practice due to the Parental Bill of Rights?  Curious how other places are doing.  

1
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Specializes in School Nursing.

Hi! I'm sure more changes will come, but currently the biggest change is with our mass hearing/vision screenings.  We used to be able to mass screen unless a parent sent the form telling us not to screen their student.  Now with the Parental Bill of Rights, we had to rewrite the document and now parents have to return it giving us permission to screen.  My screening for 3rd grade is Tuesday next week and I've only gotten 2 back.  So that will be a big change so far.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, school nursing.

Is the Parental Bill of Rights state-specific?  I'm in Texas, and I haven't been informed of anything that would affect my practice.

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Specializes in Peds.
iggywench said:

Is the Parental Bill of Rights state-specific?  I'm in Texas, and I haven't been informed of anything that would affect my practice.

I believe it is state specific but most states are adopting one.  Ours goes into affect Jan 1. 

Achevy said:

Hi! I'm sure more changes will come, but currently the biggest change is with our mass hearing/vision screenings.  We used to be able to mass screen unless a parent sent the form telling us not to screen their student.  Now with the Parental Bill of Rights, we had to rewrite the document and now parents have to return it giving us permission to screen.  My screening for 3rd grade is Tuesday next week and I've only gotten 2 back.  So that will be a big change so far.

Thank you!  I also feel like more are coming but it is so vague that I worry we will have a mishap without even knowing.  I thought screenings were not affected because they are not a treatment???

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Specializes in School Nursing.
cowboysandangels said:

I believe it is state specific but most states are adopting one.  Ours goes into affect Jan 1. 

Thank you!  I also feel like more are coming but it is so vague that I worry we will have a mishap without even knowing.  I thought screenings were not affected because they are not a treatment???

I honestly don't know the specifics of the Bill, but the changes for the School Nurses are coming from the Student Services leaders in my county.

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Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.

At this point, it looks like there are only a handful of states who have passed PBOR laws. There is a federal bill that passed through the House in March, but that doesn't mean anything yet. 

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165592471/what-a-house-gop-messaging-bill-could-spell-for-2024-culture-war-campaign

This website tracks the current state legislations and what each bill means for education: https://www.future-ED.org/legislative-tracker-2023-parent-rights-bills-in-the-states/ 

"Six bills were signed into law—two in Florida, two in Arizona and one in Georgia and Louisiana." 

Additionally, since the text on that second site was published, it looks like there are now laws in Iowa and North Carolina, So, if you don't work in those 5 states, you don't need to worry about any changes just yet...

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Specializes in Peds.
k1p1ssk said:

At this point, it looks like there are only a handful of states who have passed PBOR laws. There is a federal bill that passed through the House in March, but that doesn't mean anything yet. 

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165592471/what-a-house-gop-messaging-bill-could-spell-for-2024-culture-war-campaign

This website tracks the current state legislations and what each bill means for education: https://www.future-ED.org/legislative-tracker-2023-parent-rights-bills-in-the-states/ 

"Six bills were signed into law—two in Florida, two in Arizona and one in Georgia and Louisiana." 

Additionally, since the text on that second site was published, it looks like there are now laws in Iowa and North Carolina, So, if you don't work in those 5 states, you don't need to worry about any changes just yet...

We are in NC.  They go into affect on Jan 1 here

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Idaho adopted a Parental Bill of Rights in July of this year. It states we must have a policy to address: "The public school's responsibility for notifying a student's parent or legal guardian regarding known changes in the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being;" and "At the start of the school year, each public school shall notify parents and legal guardians of health services offered or made available through the school or by private organizations, including preventative health and wellness services, screenings, medication administration, first aid and emergency care, and appropriate management of all health conditions with parental consent. Parental consent to any health or wellness service does not waive parents' or legal guardians' right to access their children's educational or associated health records or to be notified about their children's health status or monitoring as provided in this section"

How this has impacted me: 

  • the district has offered zero guidance for us, but did put out a parent notification that we would obtain consent for every health office care.  (Which I interpret as I need permission for every student visit...but there is no mechanism to obtain permission, short of calling a parent EVERY SINGLE TIME, which is not feasible.) 
  • We now need permission for any routine screenings, etc
  • we are required to notify parent of any "changes" in the student's health status, but have not been provided with guidance on what constitutes "change". Is this when a kid develops a headache, they feel tired, have a paper cut? My understanding is this law was mostly adopted out of concern that public schools are hiding/fostering LGBTQ student views, and wasn't targeting health offices. 

I have asked my admin, my nurse coordinator and the superintendent of our district to provide clarification and guidance on how this should impact my practice (esp gaining consent for all care given). No one has been able to provide any guidance, other than stating "this wasn't intended to impact the health office" "you don't need consent for visits" "go about work as usual". The problem is that I am a pretty black and white person and the way the statute is worded really concerns me.

BEYOND FRUSTRATED this year. 

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Specializes in Peds.
seedanurse said:

Idaho adopted a Parental Bill of Rights in July of this year. It states we must have a policy to address: "The public school's responsibility for notifying a student's parent or legal guardian regarding known changes in the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being;" and "At the start of the school year, each public school shall notify parents and legal guardians of health services offered or made available through the school or by private organizations, including preventative health and wellness services, screenings, medication administration, first aid and emergency care, and appropriate management of all health conditions with parental consent. Parental consent to any health or wellness service does not waive parents' or legal guardians' right to access their children's educational or associated health records or to be notified about their children's health status or monitoring as provided in this section"

How this has impacted me: 

  • the district has offered zero guidance for us, but did put out a parent notification that we would obtain consent for every health office care.  (Which I interpret as I need permission for every student visit...but there is no mechanism to obtain permission, short of calling a parent EVERY SINGLE TIME, which is not feasible.) 
  • We now need permission for any routine screenings, etc
  • we are required to notify parent of any "changes" in the student's health status, but have not been provided with guidance on what constitutes "change". Is this when a kid develops a headache, they feel tired, have a paper cut? My understanding is this law was mostly adopted out of concern that public schools are hiding/fostering LGBTQ student views, and wasn't targeting health offices. 

I have asked my admin, my nurse coordinator and the superintendent of our district to provide clarification and guidance on how this should impact my practice (esp gaining consent for all care given). No one has been able to provide any guidance, other than stating "this wasn't intended to impact the health office" "you don't need consent for visits" "go about work as usual". The problem is that I am a pretty black and white person and the way the statute is worded really concerns me.

BEYOND FRUSTRATED this year. 

I am getting the same answer from my admin.  "don't change anything"  But.....that is not what the law says  

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Specializes in School Nurse.
cowboysandangels said:

I am getting the same answer from my admin.  "don't change anything"  But.....that is not what the law says  

Also lots of pushback when I suggest ideas to comply with the statute (permission forms for health lessons, having an electronic method of providing consent, etc.) like I am just being this huge stick in the mud.  It makes me feel dumb and incredibly un-heard. 

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