HB1516 - Parents' Bill of Rights Act

• Establishes parental rights as fundamental constitutional rights, prohibiting the state from substantially burdening parents' liberty to direct their child's upbringing, education, health care, and mental health without demonstrating a compelling governmental interest.

• Requires school districts to develop policies allowing parents to review syllabi at least 7 days before class begins, access all curriculum and teacher training materials at least 3 days before instruction, and opt their child out of instruction on sex, morality, or religion without academic penalty.

• Requires written parental consent before schools provide mental health counseling, allow a child to use a name or pronoun not aligned with biological sex, or before any biometric scans, DNA records, or video/voice recordings of the child are created.

• Prohibits school employees (except law enforcement) from encouraging children to withhold information from parents or withholding information about the child's physical, emotional, or mental health from parents.

• Establishes a cause of action for violations with remedies including declaratory relief, injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and attorney's fees; waives governmental immunity for violations.