<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="billres.xsl"?>
<!DOCTYPE bill PUBLIC "-//US Congress//DTDs/bill.dtd//EN" "bill.dtd">
<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="HB4AD9B9AF19845DBB68702C4071EB685" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
<dublinCore>
<dc:title>119 HR 7981 IH: Stop Secret Counseling of Students Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-03-18</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
</dublinCore>
</metadata>
<form>
<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code><congress display="yes">119th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">2d Session</session><legis-num display="yes">H. R. 7981</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20260318">March 18, 2026</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="L000596">Mrs. Luna</sponsor> introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HED00">Committee on Education and Workforce</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit funds under such Act from being provided to public elementary and secondary schools that provide counseling, therapy, or guidance related to gender identity to students under 18 years of age, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body id="H9BAF3E8BAB2C405B97425C4809CDC3A8" style="OLC"> 
<section id="H3F0F41678E204A428CC3BD108B5E4776" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Stop Secret Counseling of Students Act</short-title></quote>.</text> </section> <section id="H847A08C5F5E94A659CB132106A7AD053" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>2.</enum><header>Prohibition on gender-related counseling in public elementary and secondary schools</header> <subsection id="H091C0BF669C547CE9CD7D47CB512A8EC"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/7901">20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text> 
<quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H21F1E53C52A24044A07BBF1497B439A0"> 
<section id="H5090229717384CBAB55998F0F06661B6"><enum>8549D.</enum><header>Prohibition on gender-related counseling</header> 
<subsection id="HB48A9A581BC64D3FBB8D6901C4BF1A88" commented="no"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No funds under this Act may be provided to a public elementary or secondary school that violates the requirements described in subsection (b).</text></subsection> <subsection id="H7643602409BF4F20830A56D797A91408"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Requirements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The requirements described in this subsection for a public elementary or secondary school are the following:</text> 
<paragraph id="HC086DA42C3994D28A73D0DD53EA72C5F"><enum>(1)</enum><text>An employee or a contractor may not provide a student under 18 years of age with counseling, therapy, or guidance related to gender identity, including assisting with creating a gender support or social transition plan.</text> </paragraph> <paragraph id="H70381E622BF8448796E2ECD9CF1DC25C"><enum>(2)</enum><text>An employee or a contractor may not—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H44FDCF322E084DF3B02A1AD64ABB8A8E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>encourage students to hide information regarding the gender identity or social transition of the student from parents; or</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H2A664306CEA546BCBB680CF8820D1A44"><enum>(B)</enum><text>provide guidance to students on how to hide such information from parents.</text></subparagraph> </paragraph></subsection> 
<subsection id="H3F291179311A4E7096B85988A17DE93E" commented="no"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Right of action</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A parent of a student may bring a civil action for injunctive relief in any Federal district court of appropriate jurisdiction against a public elementary or secondary school for a violation of a requirement described in subsection (b) by an employee or a contractor of such school with respect to such student.</text></subsection> </section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection> <subsection id="HBF1DABAEA4A04CAFA1B153F85085CD6C"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Table of contents</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8549C the following:</text> 
<quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H2F132DB6CD7F46DBAEA8FE38AD064C63"> 
<toc regeneration="no-regeneration"> 
<toc-entry level="section">Sec. 8549D. Prohibition on gender-related counseling.</toc-entry> </toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section> 
</legis-body></bill>

