HR 4986
Parents Opt-in Protection Act
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Bill overview
The Parents Opt-in Protection Act changes the General Education Provisions Act to require schools to obtain written consent from parents or students before conducting surveys, analyses, or evaluations that could reveal personal information. Currently, schools could collect such information with only the student’s consent. This bill strengthens parental rights by ensuring that schools must specifically obtain written consent for each individual survey, analysis, or evaluation. It aims to protect student privacy and family information.
Key provisions
- Requires schools to obtain prior written consent from parents or students before conducting surveys, analyses, or evaluations.
- Changes the requirement from ‘student’s prior consent’ to ‘parent’s prior written consent’ for unemancipated minors.
- Specifies that consent must be obtained for each ‘specific survey, analysis, or evaluation’.
- Clarifies that consent is required even if the student is an adult or emancipated minor.
Who is affected
- Students
- Parents of students
- Schools
- School districts
- Educational institutions
Notable changes
- Changes the requirement for consent from ‘student’s prior consent’ to ‘parent’s prior written consent’ for minors.
- Adds a requirement for specific written consent for each survey, analysis, or evaluation.
Sponsors
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Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 4986
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the General Education Provisions Act to ensure that a student is not required to submit to a survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals personal information about such student or their family without prior written consent.
This Act may be cited as the Parents Opt-in Protection Act
.
Section 445 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232h) is amended—
in subsection (b)—
by striking prior consent of the student
and inserting prior written consent of the student
; and
by inserting before the period at the end the following: , for such specific survey, analysis, or evaluation
; and
by striking and
at the end of clause (i);
in clause (ii), by striking subparagraph (C).
and inserting clause (i) or (iii) of subparagraph (C); and
; and
by adding at the end the following: