Bills · HR 5116
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 5116Education
Empower Parents to Protect their Kids Act
INTRO SEP 3· LAST ACTION SEP 3
READING
8MIN
COSPONSORS
16
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThis bill touches on a deeply contentious issue concerning parental rights versus student privacy and school autonomy. If this bill becomes law, it would significantly alter existing policies in many schools across the country, particularly those that currently allow students to use names, pronouns, or facilities consistent with their gender identity without parental notification or consent. This could lead to a nationwide shift in how public education addresses gender identity, reinforcing parental authority at the expense of student-led privacy in school settings.
Voters should care because this bill could change the role of schools in supporting LGBTQ+ youth and dictate how information about a child's identity is shared within families. It creates a new legal avenue for individuals to sue schools, potentially increasing litigation and administrative burdens for educational institutions. The bill's passage would mean a federal standard on gender identity policies in schools, potentially overriding local school board decisions and impacting the educational environment for millions of students and their families.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Schools receiving federal funds must obtain express parental consent before taking any action to affirm a student's gender identity that is different from their sex assigned at birth.
This establishes a federal mandate for parental approval on a wide range of gender-affirming practices in schools, from name changes to facility use.
PROVISION 02
School employees are prohibited from encouraging students to withhold gender identity information from their parents, or from hiding such information themselves.
This ensures transparency between schools and parents, eliminating policies that allow schools to keep a student's gender identity confidential from their parents.
PROVISION 03
School employees cannot encourage or pressure parents or students to proceed with any interventions related to a student's gender identity.
This aims to prevent school staff from influencing or coercing families regarding decisions about gender transition.
PROVISION 04
A "qualified party" can file a civil lawsuit against non-compliant schools or governmental entities to seek appropriate relief, without exhausting administrative remedies first.
This creates a direct legal enforcement mechanism, allowing individuals to sue schools that violate the bill's requirements.
PROVISION 05
State and local educational agencies must describe their compliance steps in federal funding applications, and schools must publicly post their compliance policies online and provide them to families.
This ensures public transparency and accountability for how schools implement the bill's parental consent requirements.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 16
R· Illinois
YRS IN OFFICE
5
BILLS LED
36
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 12%
DEM 1 REP 15 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSSEP 3
Introduced in House
SEP 3
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 5116
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedSep 3, 2025
Last actionSep 3, 2025
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED SEP 3, 2025
House BillHR 5116Education
Empower Parents to Protect their Kids Act
INTRODUCED SEP 3, 2025· LAST ACTION SEP 3, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
8 min
COSPONSORS
16
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
