At the bill signing Tuesday, prime sponsor Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, hugged Ferguson afterward, thanking Ferguson for his office’s help all along the way

Elizabeth New (Hovde)
Washington Policy Center

Gov. Bob Ferguson is on board with keeping parents out of the loop when it comes to school or educator knowledge about medical and mental health ongoings that involve their children. You wouldn’t have known that was what House Bill 1296 proposed doing when watching the celebratory bill signing for the new law we’re told is “for the children,” however.

Instead, the suggestion was made that the new law helped students be free from discrimination in schools. Attendees and viewers were also told that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was going to make sure student safety and privacy were prioritized. 

It’s true that OSPI is now charged with writing students’ rights into a handbook and that students will receive instruction about their rights. OSPI will also create a complaint process for people to use if school districts do not comply with lawmaker wishes. School districts found in violation will lose money. But a robust framework of state and federal laws already protect students from discrimination in Washington state schools. 

Being free of discrimination is not what HB 1296 is about. The new law undoes parent notification rights that were established through Initiative 2081 last year. 

Kids 13 and older are already allowed to make some medical decisions on their own. What 2081 did was require schools to notify parents when and if they were aware a child was making life-altering medical decisions or experiencing mental health issues. Read more about controversial state laws and practices here. 

Kicking that notification right to the curb allows a child’s desire for privacy to be prioritized above parent involvement and their safety. That’s unfortunate. An overwhelming body of research shows parent involvement is related to increased academic achievement and better child health outcomes. Abuse laws rightly exist to help keep children safe from family relationships that are dangerous. They would have guided educators in this area, too.

At the bill signing Tuesday, prime sponsor Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, hugged Ferguson afterward, thanking Ferguson for his office’s help all along the way. While the governor waited to sign this controversial bill as long as he could, it appears he was always going to.

Elizabeth New (Hovde) is a policy analyst and director of the Centers for Health Care and Worker Rights at the Washington Policy Center. She is a Clark County resident.

---

Also read:

• 
  Washington governor wants agencies to look for deeper cuts
  Gov. Bob Ferguson is warning state agencies to prepare for deeper cuts as Washington’s budget shortfall worsens, with a new revenue forecast due June 24 and economic uncertainty growing.
• 
  Signature gathering begins soon on Washington voter ID initiative
  Backers of IL26-126, a new Washington initiative requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship, expect to begin signature gathering within days to get the measure before lawmakers next year.
• 
  Opinion: A win-win for Washington state
  Nancy Churchill outlines HB 2085 and a proposed legislative framework aimed at decentralizing governance in Washington state while preserving unity.
• 
  Tim Eyman loses recall attempt against WA Secretary of State
  A Thurston County judge dismissed Tim Eyman’s bid to recall Secretary of State Steve Hobbs over the handling of a parents’ rights referendum.
• 
  Opinion: State lawmakers need to examine their role in health care cost increases
  Columnist Elizabeth New argues that Washington’s taxes, price caps and regulations are inflating health-care costs and jeopardizing providers.