SB 1428 Summary

• Requires the Department of Education to adopt procedures for notifying parents when there is a change in their student's services or monitoring related to mental, emotional, or physical health and well-being.

• Prohibits schools from adopting procedures that discourage or prevent parental notification about a student's health or well-being, except when a reasonably prudent person would believe disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

• Bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through grade three and requires any such instruction to be age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate according to state standards.

• Requires schools to notify parents at the beginning of the school year of all healthcare services offered and allow parents to withhold consent or decline specific services; requires parental permission before administering well-being questionnaires or health screenings to students in kindergarten through grade three.

• Establishes a dispute resolution process allowing parents to request a special master (attorney with 5+ years administrative law experience) or file a lawsuit for declaratory or injunctive relief; courts may award damages and attorney fees to parents who prevail.