[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3652-H3659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PARENTAL RIGHTS OVER THE EDUCATION AND CARE OF THEIR KIDS ACT
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call
up the bill (H.R. 2616) to require public elementary and middle schools
that receive funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 to obtain parental consent before changing a minor's gender
markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or sex-based
accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms, and ask for its
immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, in lieu
of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the
Committee on Education and Workforce, printed in the bill, an amendment
in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of the Rules
Committee Print 119-26 is adopted and the bill, as amended, is
considered read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
H.R. 2616
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the ``Stopping Indoctrination and
Protecting Kids Act''.
SEC. 2. PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIREMENT RELATED TO GENDER
MARKERS, PRONOUNS, AND PREFERRED NAMES ON
SCHOOL FORMS AND SEX-BASED ACCOMMODATIONS.
(a) Requirement.--As a condition of receiving funds under
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6301 et seq.), a public school that receives funds under such
Act shall obtain parental consent before changing a covered
student's--
(1) gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any
school form; or
(2) sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or
bathrooms.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered student.--The term ``covered student'' means a
minor who is--
(A) an elementary school student; or
(B) a student in any of the middle grades.
(2) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``middle
grades'', and ``parent'' have the meanings given such terms
in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
SEC. 3. PROHIBITING USE OF ESEA FUNDS TO TEACH GENDER
IDEOLOGY.
Section 8526 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7906) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (6), by striking ``or'';
(2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) to teach or advance concepts related to gender
ideology, as defined in section 2 of Executive Order 14168
(90 Fed. Reg. 8615; relating to defending women from gender
ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the
Federal Government); or''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for
1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking
minority member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, or their
respective designees.
The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) and the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Scott) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
[[Page H3653]]
{time} 1420
General Leave
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 2616.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2616, the
Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act.
For years, concerned parents have felt ignored as education
bureaucrats push radical agendas in schools without their knowledge or
input.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when kitchen tables became classrooms,
parents got a firsthand look at what was really being taught. What many
saw raised serious concerns. Instead of focusing on the basics like
math and reading, many teachers and schools were introducing
controversial lessons on gender ideology and pronouns, all while
student achievement plummeted and continues to this day.
In the years since then, those concerns have only grown. Many schools
are engaged in systematic attempts to erode parental rights. Schools
are facilitating gender transitions or encouraging students to change
their names and pronouns without telling parents.
These are enormously consequential decisions that have lasting
impacts on a child's well-being and development. Parents deserve to be
part of those conversations.
One study from Defending Education found that at least 21,000 schools
across the United States have policies that allow or encourage staff to
hide a student's name change or gender identity. This lack of
transparency risks confusion, undermines trust, and weakens the
essential partnership between families and schools. It also places
teachers in difficult positions, sometimes expecting them to withhold
information from parents or be less than fully transparent.
These policies are incredibly harmful to children and families. In
fact, we are now seeing a wealth of data to prove that children and
teenagers who seek out drastic, life-altering medical procedures often
struggle with mental health issues now and beyond. Instead of
supporting kids, these secretive gender transitions, often encouraged
by radical school officials, do more harm than good.
At the same time, many parents are asking a simple question: Why
aren't schools more focused on helping students recover academically?
Test scores in key subjects remain stagnant or have declined, and
students are still working to overcome pandemic-era learning loss.
Parents, teachers, and school leaders should be working together to
support student success, not be at odds with one another.
That is why I am proud to lead H.R. 2616, the Stopping Indoctrination
and Protecting Kids Act, alongside my friend and colleague, the vice
chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, Congressman Burgess
Owens. This bill takes monumental strides to restore parental rights
and educational sanity.
H.R. 2616 affirms the right of parents to be in charge of their
children's upbringing and ensures schools remain partners in a child's
education, instead of usurping the role and rights of parents
altogether. The bill also establishes clear guardrails to ensure
taxpayer dollars are used to support learning, not indoctrinate kids in
radical ideology and agendas.
At its core, this bill is grounded in a simple principle, Mr.
Speaker. That principle is that parents want what is best for their
kids. Schools should be partners in that effort.
I believe Members on both sides of the aisle share the goal of
helping students succeed. This legislation moves us in that direction
by strengthening trust, improving transparency, and keeping the focus
where it belongs: on students' education.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2616, the so-called
Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, because the name bears
little resemblance to what the bill actually does.
What it does is require schools to obtain parental consent before
changing a student's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any
school form or changing a student's sex-based accommodations, including
locker rooms or bathrooms, and that is for all students in middle
school or elementary school.
This bill would prohibit the use of Federal funds to teach so-called
gender ideology, whatever that is. Specifically, it bars any discussion
of transgender people or topics in the classroom, banning books with
transgender characters or that even discuss the existence of
transgender people.
It is well established in statute that the States and districts
determine their curriculum without interference from the Federal
Government. This bill takes away State and local control of curriculum
in education, the very thing that the current administration claims
they are giving back to States by illegally dismantling the Department
of Education.
Parental involvement is important, and I support that. It works in
virtually all cases, but this bill is not about involvement. It is
about Federal coercion forcing schools into situations where they may
have to disclose sensitive information about a student, even when they
know it could put that child's safety at risk.
It goes beyond theory. It creates absurd situations. For example, my
name is Robert. I go by Bobby. Under this bill, my middle school coach
would need parental permission before listing me as Bobby on the sports
roster. What if they write ``Rob'' instead? Would they have to go back
and get parental consent?
This bill fails to clarify key questions, such as whether both
parents must be notified and give permission.
Who will oversee these requirements if this administration continues
illegally dismantling the Department of Education?
What it does make clear is that if the school gets it wrong, then
they risk losing Federal funding. That is not protecting kids. It won't
make trans students disappear. It is just micromanaging schools and
wasting everybody's time.
This bill does nothing to improve literacy, improve teacher
shortages, promote safe learning environments, support student mental
health, or otherwise improve education. The bill is unnecessary,
overbroad, and potentially harmful.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose it, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I certainly would agree that this bill will
promote good mental health and security and probably academic success
in the process.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr.
Owens), who is the bill's co-lead and vice chair on the Education and
Workforce Committee.
Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start my comments with a
simple truth: There are only two sexes, male and female.
Sex is a biological fact, not an ideological whim. Yet, across our
country, school districts are actively pushing radical gender ideology
on children and, in some cases, facilitating social transitions without
parental knowledge or consent.
I grew up in a time when most Americans, like me, knew what a boy was
and what a girl was. This was not ever controversial. Unfortunately,
with the rise of radical gender ideology today, many have lost what was
called common sense.
Here is another truth that should not be contentious: Parents, not
school administrators, should have the ultimate right to make decisions
about their child's upbringing. Once again, this is common sense.
The Heritage Foundation has written: ``A century of Supreme Court
jurisprudence supports the notion that parents enjoy the fundamental
constitutional right to direct the upbringing, health, and education of
their children.''
[[Page H3654]]
We are not talking about nicknames on football teams. We are talking
adults, with no relation to a minor child, secretly transitioning a
child, and then actively working to conceal it from that child's
parents. That is madness. If a child is struggling with gender
dysphoria, then parents should be the first, not the last, to know.
Right now, according to Defending Education, at least 21,000 schools
in 1,200 districts, covering over 12 million students, have policies
that prevent faculty and staff from disclosing a student's gender
identity to his own parents without the student's permission. That is
simply unacceptable.
If a child needs a permission slip signed to go on a field trip, a
school should never think it has the right to socially transition that
same child without informing his or her parents.
{time} 1430
The Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act is
straightforward: Any district that promotes these ideologies in a
classroom or conceals a child's gender transition from parents will
lose Federal funding.
Our school system should be teaching children how to read, write, and
think, not how to turn little Johnny into little Jenny. Not long ago,
these ideas would not have been controversial.
Today, too many schools want to cut parents out and push their own
personal ideology instead. I am grateful to Chairman Walberg for the
work he has done to bring this bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge every one of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on
this important legislation.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I spent 24 years as an educator, as a
classroom teacher, and as an adviser to my school's Gay-Straight
Alliance.
During that time, I knew children who suffered physical violence at
the hands of family members who found out that they were gay. I knew
kids who were withdrawn from school because staff had informed their
parents of their perceived sexual identity.
The story of those students is exactly what is at stake in this bill.
Those of us who have taught LGBTQI+ children or who have been LGBTQI+
children ourselves know the sad reality that not all children come from
homes that accept their differences.
This bill puts educators in an impossible position. Teachers would be
legally required to out transgender children even if they knew that
doing so would put the child at risk of physical harm or even being
kicked out of their home.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the American
Federation of Teachers and a letter from the National Education
Association opposing this bill.
AFT,
Education Healthcare Public Services,
April 29, 2026.
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Representative: On behalf of the 1.8 million members
of the AFT, I write in opposition to H.R. 2616, the misnamed
Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act. Teachers
teach children how to think, not what to think, and students
and parents need less culture wars and more support.
At a time when our nation's public schools are facing real
challenges and opportunities, educators desperately want to
partner with this administration and Congress on an agenda
that meets the needs of students, parents and school staff.
Instead of prioritizing politically charged issues that
divide communities, Congress should work on initiatives that
will actually improve the lives of Americans.
For example, in the wake of the White House Correspondents'
Dinner shooting, where White House officials felt the terror
that is all too familiar to our educators and students, now
is the time to address the gun violence epidemic. Why not
bring commonsense gun safety legislation to the floor?
Congress should listen more closely to all stakeholders and
take steps to enhance the capacity of schools and educators
to fulfill their responsibilities and help students and their
families. Why not bring bills to the floor that invest in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other nutrition
assistance to help keep families fed and kids focused? Why
not introduce legislation that makes healthcare more
affordable and accessible? Why not bring to the floor bills
that create guardrails for artificial intelligence and safety
measures with parent consent? Why not offer a tax cut for
working Americans to help make life more affordable amid the
rising gas and grocery costs? Why not vote on a bill that
supports critical thinking and ensures kids have safe and
welcoming environments? How does H.R. 2616 get us there? It
does not.
To this end, instead of rushing a bill that inflames
culture wars, Congress should work in a bipartisan manner
through regular order on legislation that builds consensus
to:
Ensure all children have opportunities to learn by doing--
engaging in experiential learning, including career and
technical education;
Care for young people's mental health and well-being,
including a demand that social media companies protect, not
prey on, children;
Catalyze a vast expansion of community schools that
meaningfully partner with families;
Support teachers and support staff, and give public schools
the resources students need to thrive;
Increase students' access to healthy meals;
Provide AI guardrails;
Enact gun safety measures, such as safe storage, that keep
our kids safe and protect parents from the unimaginable; and
Help school districts recruit and train diverse teachers to
alleviate the teacher shortage.
Yes, parents should know what is happening, and across the
nation, students, parents and educators are working
tirelessly with each other to identify and advance solutions
that protect our students, value our parents and support our
educators. We urge you to listen and work with us on what is
needed in our schools.
Thank you for considering our views on these issues. I urge
you to vote no on H.R. 2616 and instead bring measures to the
floor that help us fight for a better life for all.
Sincerely,
Randi Weingarten,
President, AFT.
____
National Education Association,
Washington, DC,
April 27, 2026.
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Representative: On behalf of our 3 million members and
the students they service, we urge you to VOTE NO on H.R.
2616 because it would require educators to betray their
students and violate their own professional standards. Votes
on this issue may be included in NEA's report card for the
119th Congress.
This bill represents a major intrusion of the federal
government where it does not belong--in curricular issues
that should be debated and decided locally, as well as
private matters of student identity. School communities would
become less safe and less welcoming for many students, as
well as educators.
Teachers, counselors, nurses, and other school staff could
be required to ``out'' transgender and nonbinary students
despite the damaging repercussions. Such students are already
at heightened risk of harassment and bullying. This bill
would make them even more vulnerable.
In addition, the bill's overly vague definitions of certain
terms could lead to censorship that undermines the essence of
a good education: exposure to different, age-appropriate
perspectives.
Educators strive to ensure that students have what they
need to learn and grow. They work with students and families
to build school communities where every student is supported
and feels a sense of belonging. Making sure that public
schools are safe and inclusive environments where all
students--no matter what they look like, where they come
from, or how they identify--can thrive and prepare for their
future is essential.
Treating a particular group of students as less deserving
of respect, autonomy, and privacy--and even, inadvertently,
putting them in harm's way--is the antithesis of educators'
professional obligation: fostering learning environments
based on respect, inclusion, and most of all, safety.
Please VOTE NO on H.R. 2116.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Johnson Trinca,
Director of Government Relations, National Education
Association.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I will note that 40 percent of homeless
youth are LGBTQI+ largely because they have been rejected by their
families. Of course teachers should involve parents in their child's
education, but a teacher also has a professional duty to ensure a
child's safety.
This bill also forbids the teaching of any subject related to the
existence of transgender people. That includes banning books,
supportive student groups, or even textbooks that reference gender
dysphoria.
Transgender kids do exist. They aren't products of a conspiracy or
indoctrination. They are just kids, made who they are by God and by
nature. They deserve our care and they deserve our respect just as any
child does.
The majority is intent on making sure that transgender kids don't
have anywhere where they might feel included, recognized, or safe.
[[Page H3655]]
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Messmer), a great member of the Education and Workforce
Committee.
Mr. MESSMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2616, the
Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act. Hoosier families in
southern Indiana and across this great Nation deserve to be in full
control of how they guide and raise their most precious gift from God,
their beloved children.
American parents must be aware and have great faith in the
partnership between themselves and those teaching and counseling their
impressionable child.
The Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids legislation takes an
important step in restoring any trust that has been broken by ensuring
that parents are notified and involved in important school-based
decisions affecting their children.
This bill also increases accountability for any kind of information
withholding and it puts an end to any mind control efforts that are
intended to force radical and ideological viewpoints inside the
classroom.
At the end of the day, we all believe that a loving parent knows best
how to raise their own child, and this bill reaffirms that
uncontroversial principle.
I thank Chairman Walberg and Subcommittee Chairman Owens for
advancing this legislation that puts families and children first.
Mr. Speaker, for the sake of parental rights of Hoosiers in Indiana
and the rights of schoolchildren across this great country, I urge my
colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Grijalva).
Mrs. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2616.
At a time when people are asking Congress to lower costs, crack down
on corruption and powerful abusers, and keep children safe, House
Republicans remain fixated on bullying vulnerable kids instead of
addressing the real problems facing this country.
This bill forces teachers to out transgender students to their own
parents even when they know it could put that child at risk of abuse,
homelessness, or violence.
Think about that.
Republicans want to force teachers to betray the trust of children
who likely already feel scared, isolated, and unsafe at home.
That is dangerous.
Most young people confide in their families when they feel safe doing
so, but some queer kids don't have that option.
These same Republicans who consistently talk about small government
cut funding to a local library in Bisbee a couple weeks ago just
because it hosted a drag story time. Now, they want to control what
teachers can say, what students can read, and even a name a child can
use at school.
Where will it end?
This bill censors discussions about transgender people and gender
identity altogether. It sends a message that trans people should be
erased from classrooms, from history, and from public life. Transgender
people exist. They are our neighbors, our students, our classmates, our
coworkers, our friends, and our children. No bill passed in this
Chamber will ever change that.
What this legislation will do is make schools less safe for already
vulnerable students.
I hate to break it to my Republican colleagues, but attacking trans
kids will not make groceries or gas cheaper. It will not lower rent. It
will not bring down healthcare costs. It will not make anyone's life
better. It will not make this Nation safer, and it certainly won't make
our kids safer in school.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. DesJarlais). The time of the gentlewoman
has expired.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds
to the gentlewoman from Arizona.
Mrs. GRIJALVA. It is time to stop scapegoating children, stop
targeting our kids, stop obsessing about gender identity, and let's
start doing the jobs that people actually sent us here to do.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this letter from the ACLU
opposing H.R. 2616.
ACLU,
National Political Advocacy Dept.,
Washington, DC,
April 28, 2026.
Dear Representative: ACLU Urges NO Vote on H.R. 2616--the
``Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act''.
The American Civil Liberties Union urges all
representatives to vote NO on H.R. 2616, the ``Stopping
Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act.'' Because of the
harmful impact this bill would have on transgender students
across the country, the ACLU will be scoring the vote.
H.R. 2616 attempts to erase the lives and experiences of
transgender people from public school classrooms across the
country in violation of the Constitution, and could even
result in forcibly outing trans and non-binary students to
their families before they feel ready or even safe doing so.
Youth who are transgender often face a real risk of
rejection by the adults who are supposed to care for them
when they disclose their gender identity. Trans people are
much more likely to be abused by their immediate family based
on their gender identity, and high risks of abuse and family
rejection mean that trans youth are overrepresented in foster
care homes, juvenile detention centers, and homeless
shelters. Familial rejection and abuse dramatically increases
the risks of suicidality, substance abuse, and depression.
The unfortunate reality is that not every child can be their
true selves at home without risking their physical or
emotional well-being.
For trans and non-binary youth, especially those who cannot
be safe at home, school may be one of the few places to be
themselves. This bill would strip this precious freedom from
these students. Trans and non-binary students thrive when
they are affirmed in their gender identity, which includes
being called by a name and pronouns that reflect who they
are. When these youth are supported at home, they can become
the happy, confident children their parents hoped they would
be. As trans and non-binary youth consistently report, being
able to live and learn as their true selves transforms their
lives for the better. Many schools across the country
recognize that a supportive learning environment requires
treating trans and non-binary students with dignity and
respect.
Everyone has a right under the First Amendment to share
ideas and receive knowledge, free from government censorship
and discrimination. It's important that students can read and
learn about the history and viewpoints of all communities--
including their own identity--both inside and outside the
classroom. This legislation would prohibit K-12 schools from
receiving federal funds if they teach ``concepts related to
gender ideology,'' effectively censoring teachers from
talking about and students from receiving information
relating to gender identity. ``Gender ideology'' is a vague,
ideologically charged term that amounts to acknowledging the
reality that trans and non-binary people exist and have
existed for all of human history. Prohibiting teachers from
teaching about gender identity in schools won't change that
reality, but will threaten teachers' ability to speak freely
and students to learn. Our nation's public schools should be
places where young people are free to explore ideas,
encounter new perspectives, learn to think for themselves,
and where they can see themselves and the issues that impact
them reflected in their classrooms.
Nothing about this dangerous, discriminatory bill
``protects'' kids. Quite the contrary, this legislation is
intended to endanger students who are transgender or non-
binary by outing them against their will and erasing their
lives and experiences from the classroom in violation of the
Constitution. The ACLU urges all members of Congress to stand
with trans and non-binary young people and the First
Amendment by voting NO on H.R. 2616. Please contact Ian
Thompson, Senior Legislative Advocate, with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mike Zamore,
National Director of Policy & Government Affairs.
Mrs. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on
H.R. 2616.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Miller), a special member of the Education and Workforce
Committee.
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, a special thanks to Chairman
Walberg and Representative Owens for leading this important bill.
As reports continue to come out from the Department of Education, we
have seen that public schools are blatantly violating FERPA by secretly
encouraging children to adopt so-called transgender identities behind
their parents' back.
In fact, the DOJ recently announced investigations into 36 public
school districts in my home State of Illinois for violations of
President Trump's executive orders that affirm the biological reality
of male and female and prohibit public schools from indoctrinating
[[Page H3656]]
children into believing they were born in the wrong body.
H.R. 2616, the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, takes
an important step forward by codifying these executive orders and by
rescinding Federal funding from any school that seeks to undermine
parents.
Democrats believe children are nothing more than wards of the State
to be indoctrinated as loyal foot soldiers in their march toward
Marxism. They have labeled parents who are concerned about their
children's well-being domestic terrorists and arrested them at school
board meetings.
Parents are the only ones who have the fundamental, God-given right
to raise their children as they see fit. Republicans are here fighting
to protect parental rights, shield children from radical gender
ideology, and restore sanity to America's classrooms.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2616.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).
{time} 1440
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the
Republicans' don't say trans and forced outing bill. This misguided
legislation is a cruel attack on transgender children who exist,
whether the other side wants to recognize that or not, who are already
among the most vulnerable in our society.
This bigoted bill not only infringes on American students' First
Amendment rights by censoring curricula and banning books, but it also
tries to erase American history and to erase the existence of
transgender people by banning discussions of LGBTQ people and their
families.
Furthermore, while many parents are aware of and supportive of their
children's gender expression, in some cases, outing a student could
lead to abuse or putting the child in harm's way. We should not force
teachers to knowingly put vulnerable students in danger or to violate
the trust they have built.
Every student deserves a safe and affirming school environment to
learn, to develop social skills, and to grow. But Republicans are
focused on spreading hate instead of protecting and supporting
students.
Vote ``no'' on H.R. 2616.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter in opposition to this
bill from the National Women's Law Center Action Fund.
National Women's Law Center Action Fund,
Washington, DC, April 28, 2026
Re Vote NO on H.R. 2616, Stopping Indoctrination and
Protecting Kids Act.
Dear Representative: On behalf of the National Women's Law
Center Action Fund, we urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2616, the
so-called Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act,
which would result in an unprecedented federal intrusion into
curriculum decision making and classroom discussions.
The NWLC Action Fund firmly opposes this anti-trans bill
that will censor classroom discussions, police free
expression, add administrative burdens to schools, and
encourage unequal treatment of marginalized youth in schools.
H.R. 2616 would withhold federal funds under the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for education agencies
that ``teach or advance concepts related to gender
ideology.'' This provision would both dictate curricular
choices while also serving as a ``Don't Say Trans'' bill that
could chill classroom discussions.
Federal law has long recognized that the federal government
should not intervene in state and local curriculum
development, with the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015
clarifying that the federal government shall not ``mandate,
direct, or control ... instructional content or materials
[and] curriculum.'' At least eight states have local laws
that require LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum. H.R. 2616 would
dictate federal limitations on curriculum, overriding state
discretion and opening the door to far greater federal
involvement in deciding what is taught in the classroom.
Additionally, the prohibition on ``advanc[ing] concepts''
could be construed--as other similar state ``Don't Say
Trans'' bills have been--to silence discussion or support for
transgender people. This could impact the availability of
Gay-Straight Alliance and Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA)
clubs to support LGBTQIA+ students, result in prohibitions on
Safe Space stickers or Pride flags, and also result in
hostile employment environments for transgender teachers who
simply talk about their own identity or experience.
H.R. 2616 is overbroad and would both infringe on free
expression and create additional administrative burdens for
schools by requiring parental consent before schools could
recognize a change in a child's preferred name, pronouns,
gender marker, or sex-based accommodations. Although the bill
is clearly targeting transgender and gender-expansive
students, the overbroad requirement will have an impact on
all students who want to be known by a nickname. In 2023, for
example, Florida required schools to collect consent forms
before 3 student named Robert could be known as Bobby.
Ultimately, this additional administrative burden will chill
classroom dynamics, requiring forms before decency and
putting bureaucracy in between teachers and their students.
H.R. 2616 would encourage unequal treatment of marginalized
youth in schools. Inclusive policies that affirm LGBTQIA+
students' identities play a critical role in mitigating
social isolation, harassment, and adverse mental health
outcomes, especially for transgender and gender-expansive
students. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) have reported staggering mental health disparities
faced by LGBTQIA+ youth, with the majority (53 percent) of
transgender students having seriously considered attempting
suicide in 2023. Although schools often already encourage
family involvement where possible, H.R. 2616 will remove
essential tools that allow educators and school staff to
thoughtfully and carefully support transgender youth as
they're navigating the coming out process.
We strongly urge a NO vote on H.R. 2616. Please reach out
if you have any additional questions about this bill or our
position.
Best,
Brian Dittmeier,
Director of LGBTQIA+ Equality, National Women's Law Center
Action Fund.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Harris), a great member of the Committee on
Education and Workforce.
Mr. HARRIS of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Walberg
for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Stopping Indoctrination
and Protecting Kids Act led by Chairman Walberg and Vice Chairman
Owens.
For far too long, our education system has prioritized activism over
fundamentals. Parents in America want their children to learn how to
read, write, solve math problems, and reach their God-given potential.
Unfortunately, schools across the country have abandoned biological
realities in favor of curriculum that is infused with gender ideology,
sexual education, and transgenderism.
Mr. Speaker, this is not education; this is indoctrination.
What is equally concerning is the effort schools have put into
leaving parents out of important discussions regarding their children.
Parents have the right to know what their kids are being taught and
what is happening to their children in schools.
That is why I am honored to stand against the indoctrination of our
kids and for parents' rights. I strongly urge my colleagues to do the
same by joining me in supporting this bill.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Vermont (Ms. Balint).
Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in fierce opposition to this
harmful attack on public schools.
Republicans are losing. Gas prices are skyrocketing. They have no
plan to end the illegal and unpopular war in Iran. Rather than doing
the work to solve these real problems, Republicans just keep going back
to the same old, tired playbook of harassing trans kids and, it turns
out, calling us Marxists.
This time they want to give the Trump administration broad authority
to cut off Federal public school funding if a school teaches or
advances anything that the administration deems to be gender ideology.
Mr. Speaker, this could be anything.
A teacher doesn't get parental consent before using a student's
nickname on a school form; a book in their library includes a
transgender character; a teacher has a Pride Flag hanging in the
classroom.
As the parent of two teenagers myself and as a former public school
teacher, I want all kids to be protected and supported at school as
they learn, as they grow, and as they figure out who they are.
For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to
recommit this bill back to committee.
If the House rules had permitted it, I would have offered this motion
with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would prevent
this bill from taking effect until the Secretary of Education proves
that the Department is taking the necessary steps to
[[Page H3657]]
protect women and girls from sexual harassment and violence.
I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the
Record immediately prior to the motion to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Vermont?
There was no objection.
Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record as well a letter
opposing the bill from the American Booksellers Association.
Honorable Members of the US House of Representatives: I
write on behalf of the American Booksellers Association, the
trade association of independent bookstores representing over
3,200 bookstore companies nationwide, to express our deep
concern with H.R. 2616. This book censorship bill would chill
expression across the book industry, hurt small businesses,
and decrease the variety of books in the marketplace.
H.R. 2616 is a national book ban bill, and even its authors
likely cannot say where the banning will stop. The
prohibition on use of ESEA funds to ``teach or advance gender
ideology'' could impact everything from picture books about
crayons to Plato's Symposium, and it appears to apply to
library materials as well as curriculum. The key term,
``gender ideology,'' is defined only in an executive order
that has not been approved by Congress and could change in
future administrations. It is not radical to say we should
know what a law does before we pass it.
Attacking ESEA funding, the largest source of federal
funding to public schools, defunds schools that are already
struggling, which also impacts the bookstores that serve
them. This vague bill would stymie or halt spending on all
books, regardless of content, as already-overburdened school
districts struggled to comply. Bookstores that supply local
districts with library materials, book fairs, and author
visits will see a massive decrease in book purchases. In
states where book bans are most common, booksellers have been
forced to shrink or discontinue their school programs,
impacting jobs and local economies.
We have alread started to see less diversity in the book
market due to book bans. School and library sales are
essential parts of the publishing ecosystem. When stories are
banned from that marketplace, authors are silenced and have
their livelihoods threatened. Book ban laws censor age-
appropriate stories that people just do not want told,
increasingly target history, and disproportionately impact
people of color, LGBTQIA2S+ people, and people with
disabilities. Loss of market diversity hurts readers as
consumers, as thinkers, and as human beings.
For the sake of small businesses and their employees, the
communities they enrich, the parents who want their kids to
learn about the world as it is through the safety of a kids
book, and the kids who just want to get back to their books,
please vote against this bill.
Sincerely,
Philomena Polefrone, Ph.D.,
Associate Director of Advocacy, American Booksellers
Association.
Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I hope that my colleagues will join me in
voting for the motion to recommit. This is once again government
overreach.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Frost).
Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from Glisten
opposing this bill.
[From Glisten, Apr. 29, 2026]
New York--Today, Glisten issued the following statement
urging Congress to vote NO on H.R. 2616 (aka PROTECT Kids
Act). This dangerous bill requires public elementary and
middle schools that receive funds under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 to obtain parental consent
before changing a minor's gender markers, pronouns, or
preferred name on any school form. It requires parental
consent for students to access appropriate in-school spaces,
such as locker rooms or bathrooms. It would also prohibit
school staff from discussing ``gender ideology,'' which is an
attempt to further marginalize transgender and non-binary
students.
Glisten's CEO Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she) issued
the following statement:
This bill would pose a great risk to student safety and
undermine safe learning environments. This legislation is yet
another example of federal overreach at the expense of our
Nation's students.
This act does nothing to actually protect a child's
freedoms, but instead, drastically limits the freedoms that
young people need to learn, explore, and grow as humans. This
act will stomp out students' ability to live authentically,
creating an environment where students who are different are
vilified and unwelcome. Our education system is meant to
create a world where youth can flourish as themselves and
where safety is paramount.
Many students find their safe space at school amongst
supporting adults and peers. Educators shouldn't be forced to
`out' their students, especially if a child's home situation
compromises their safety.
Glisten urges Congress to vote NO on this dangerous bill.
Glisten will always support LGBTQ+ students and prioritize
their education and safety, and we urge you to do the same.''
For press inquiries, please reach out to:
Mark Umbach, Lucky Break PR.
Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this so-called Stopping
Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act.
This bill does not protect kids. In fact, it just bullies them.
From affordability to educational achievement, Congressional
Republicans won't tackle the country's real issues. Instead, they are
going back to their one very weird trick that we see over and over
again: bills that obsess over the genitals of children.
We have dealt with cruel policies like this in Florida for years, and
it hasn't stopped Florida from now ranking dead last in reading.
This bill threatens children by forcing teachers and staff to out
kids to their parents even if it puts them in danger. You call this the
PROTECT Kids Act. You say this is about protecting kids. Do you want to
know the biggest danger to our kids and our children? It is not trans
people. It is not queer people. It is not drag queens. It is not books.
It is bullets. The leading cause of death for a child in this country
is to be shot.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman if he can tell me what he
intends to do to protect kids from the leading cause of death for kids.
That silence that you hear, that silence means they have got nothing.
This bill does nothing to protect kids. It just bullies them.
Trans people have always existed. They always will exist, no matter
what bills you pass. I hope this body, if you actually care about kids
and care about their schooling, will fund public education. Why don't
you make sure that the leading cause of death for a child isn't to be
shot in their schools, shot on their block. Stop with bullying children
and our most vulnerable people.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this bill.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter
opposing the bill from PFLAG. They say that this harmful bill would
strip schools of Federal funds for even acknowledging the existence of
transgender people and would make schools less safe for all students by
putting barriers between vulnerable students, their teachers,
counselors, and other trusted adults.
PFLAG National,
Washington, DC, May 20, 2026.
House Democratic Members
C/O: House Democratic Legislative Directors and Education
Staff
RE Vote NO on H.R. 2616.
To whom it may concern: PFLAG National, the nation's
largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and
advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them, urges
all Representatives to vote NO on H.R. 2616.
This harmful bill would strip schools of federal funds for
even acknowledging the existence of transgender people and
would make school less safe for all students by putting
barriers between vulnerable students, their teachers,
counselors and other trusted adults.
America is a country of freedom of speech and freedom of
ideas. Those freedoms end when politicians start banning
books and censoring curriculum simply because some people
find them uncomfortable. Children deserve an honest and
accurate education that enables them to learn about diverse
identities and experiences to help create a better future.
A public-school education helps students prepare for their
future by encouraging curiosity and critical thinking through
math and science, art and music, history and literature. But
H.R. 2616 would force schools to purge books from their
libraries that merely acknowledge that transgender people
exist. It sets a dangerous precedent when politicians simply
start censoring school content and books they don't like.
The politicians and groups behind these bills want to use
our laws to control what students can and cannot read, what
they can and cannot learn, and--most troublingly--who they
can and cannot be. Our schools should protect all students--
including LGBTQ students--so they can learn and thrive in a
safe environment where they can see themselves reflected in
the books they read.
H.R. 2616 also forces school counselors, teachers, and
other staff to out transgender children to their parents,
regardless of the child's wishes and well-being. What this
bill does is tell every student, LGBTQ+ or not, that they
cannot trust the adults at school.
Kids who have one trusted adult in their life are more
likely to reach out for help
[[Page H3658]]
when they need it and less likely to engage in harmful or
self-harming behaviors. For LGBTQ+ youth, the process of
coming out is deeply personal and involves risk--because 4 in
5 LGBTQ+ youth face stigma, discrimination and harm at school
and 2 in 5 youth who are homeless are LGBTQ+ kids whose
parents rejected them. Having a trained, trusted adult who
can help a student navigate the coming out process safely,
including helping them develop a safety plan to bring in
their parents, is vital to an LGBTQ+ youth's safety. H.R.
2616 yanks their safety net away.
Please OPPOSE H.R. 2616 and get back to work ensuring ALL
students can get a quality public education.
Sincerely,
Brian K. Bond,
CEO, PFLAG National.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record a
letter from Advocates for Trans Equality, which says, in part, the bill
would harm transgender and nonbinary students in kindergarten through
8th grade by erecting barriers to best-practice student supports, such
as recognizing a student's name, pronouns, and providing access to
appropriate sex-based facilities. The bill would also impose broad
unconstitutional limits on the speech and academic freedom of students
and educators alike, while prohibiting any discussion of ``gender
ideology,'' a term coined by anti-trans activists to dehumanize trans
people.
Advocates for Trans Equality,
May 20, 2026.
Dear Members of Congress: On behalf of your transgender
constituents and their allies, Advocates for Trans Equality
urges Members of Congress to vote NO on H.R. 2616. This bill
would harm transgender and nonbinary students in grades
Kindergarten through 8th grade by erecting barriers to best-
practice student supports, such as recognizing a student's
name and pronouns and providing access to appropriate sex-
based facilities. The bill would also impose broad
unconstitutional limits on the speech and academic freedom of
students and educators alike by prohibiting any discussion of
``gender ideology,'' a term coined by anti-trans activists to
dehumanize trans people.
Trans students are being driven out of traditional school
settings by pervasive harassment and discrimination. Survey
data has found that 71 percent of trans and nonbinary
students have felt unsafe at school due to their LGBTQI+
identity and that 7 percent of LGBTQI+ students have changed
schools due to concerns about safety and comfort. This bill
will make it harder for educators to provide trans students
support in the form of respecting a student's pronouns and
name, which data shows produces better mental health outcomes
for trans youth. Moreover, the bill could force schools to
prohibit trans students who cannot obtain parental consent
from using the appropriate facilities, exposing transgender
students to higher risk of sexual assault. This, in turn,
results in a less safe educational environment for all. Trans
students must have access to the support and protection
necessary for them to enjoy a quality public education.
The bill goes further by censoring any discussion of
transgender identity at any K-12 school--an unprecedented
attack on the free speech and academic freedom of students
and educators. No school curriculum can be complete without
some acknowledgement of transgender people, who have always
been a part of North American history, predating the arrival
of European colonists. Transgender children will exist
regardless of whether their schools acknowledge them. This
bill would further stigmatize and isolate them by all but
erasing them from their very own classrooms. This is a
patently unconstitutional, un-American restriction of free
speech that will profoundly harm vulnerable children if
passed.
Advocates for Trans Equality urges every Member of Congress
to defend civil liberties and the right of every student to a
safe learning environment and a quality education by voting
NO on H.R. 2616.
Sincerely,
Advocates for Trans Equality.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close if the gentleman from
Virginia is, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, we should be asking who this bill
actually helps. It is not needed for most situations where you can
involve parents in constructive dialogue about a student, but it does
not help students who confide in a trusted teacher because they feel
unsafe at home. It does not help educators trying to create a
supportive learning environment. It does not help students already
stretched thin and trying to meet students' real needs.
What it does is impose a rigid Federal mandate that ignores context,
disregards student safety, and prioritizes politics over people.
We can support parents without putting children at risk. We can
respect local control without Federal overreach. We should be focused
on legislation that improves students' lives, not bills that create new
problems.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
{time} 1450
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, this issue is about parents,
their children, and the protection of both.
This bill also protects teachers. It gives them the opportunity to
use the resources already available to them to protect students, but
not do that at the expense of parental rights.
Every parent in this country wants the same basic thing: to know what
is happening in their child's life and to be able to guide them through
it. That is not political. It shouldn't be. That is just being a
parent.
Too many families today--and it is the majority of them--feel like
they are being cut out of decisions that matter: decisions that affect
their child's identity, their well-being, and their future. These are
life-changing decisions that are being allowed and encouraged that are
destructive. That is not how our schools are supposed to work.
Schools should be partners with parents, not replacements for them.
Trust between families and educators is essential. That trust starts
with honesty and transparency.
The Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act is just what it
says. It is about restoring that trust. It is about making sure parents
are informed, respected, and involved. It is making sure kids are
protected.
At a time when students are still working to recover from significant
learning loss, our focus should be clear: strong academics, honest
communication, and helping every child succeed.
That is what this legislation does, Mr. Speaker. It puts parents back
where they belong: at the center of their child's life and education.
In fact, it mandates and strongly encourages parents to be back there
with their kids. That is a good thing.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2616, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2616,
which does not protect kids. This bill is yet another attempt to micro-
manage educators, harm LGBTQI+ students, and weaponize the federal
government to discriminate against a small handful of already
vulnerable students. There are real problems in our schools, yet at
every turn, my Republican colleagues are choosing to scapegoat the
trans community to divert attention from the fact that they are
partners with the administration in undermining our public school
system and actively dismantling the Department of Education. Schools
should be places where all children feel safe to live and learn as
their authentic selves.
Instead, this bill prevents the use of federal funds to ``teach or
advance concepts'' related to gender ideology and forces schools to
``out'' students--even if it would cause harm or trauma. This bill is
damaging and discriminatory to transgender students, who have
constantly seen themselves attacked and erased by my colleagues'
harmful rhetoric. Research shows that discriminatory policies like H.R.
2616, are associated with higher suicide risk among LGBTQI+ youth.
Adults in Congress shouldn't be actively harming the mental health of
our Nation's youth. I urge my colleagues to please stop picking on
trans kids and oppose this harmful legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the previous question is ordered
on the bill, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third
reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
Motion to Recommit
Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Ms. Balint of Vermont moves to recommit the bill H.R. 2616
to the Committee on Education and Workforce.
The material previously referred to by Ms. Balint is as follows:
Ms. Balint moves to recommit the bill H.R. 2616 to the
Committee on Education and Workforce with instructions to
report the
[[Page H3659]]
same back to the House forthwith, with the following
amendment:
Add at the end of the bill the following:
``SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
``Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this Act
shall not take effect until the date on which the Secretary
of Education submits a written report to Congress that
includes the following:
``(1) An explanation of the circumstances surrounding the
reported fact that the Office for Civil Rights of the
Department of Education (`OCR') reached zero resolution
agreements in 2025 in cases involving sexual harassment or
sexual violence against girls and women.
``(2) A detailed action plan that OCR will carry out to re-
establish effective case resolution process to protect girls
and women from sexual harassment and sexual violence.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the
previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.
The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
____________________