Dorchester County, S.C. - Representatives Robby Robbins, Gil Gatch, Chris Murphy, and Gary Brewer today signed on as co-sponsors to H 3197, also known as the Parental Bill of Rights bill. This bill affirms that parents have the fundamental rights regarding upbringing, education, and care of their children and seeks to limit government's authority to infringe on the rights of parents.
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING CHAPTER 23 TO TITLE 63 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PARENTS HAVE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS REGARDING THE UPBRINGING, EDUCATION, AND CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN; TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; TO LIMIT THE ABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT TO INFRINGE ON PARENTAL RIGHTS; TO IDENTIFY CERTAIN FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF PARENTS; TO REQUIRE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS CREATE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICIES; TO PROHIBIT CARE PROVIDERS FROM SOLICITING OR PROVIDING HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITHOUT WRITTEN PARENTAL CONSENT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE CHAPTER'S PROVISIONS SUPERSEDE STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS; TO CREATE A CAUSE OF ACTION FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS CHAPTER; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-5-340, RELATING TO THE AGE AT WHICH A MINOR MAY CONSENT TO HEALTH SERVICES, SO AS TO RAISE THE AGE TO EIGHTEEN.
With many schools locking down, mandating masks, or introducing fringe curriculums many parents saw it necessary to pass such a bill. During the height of the pandemic many saw local governments infringing on the rights of parents, making decisions that many disagreed with but were forced to comply with.
To learn more about this initiative visit www.parentalrightssouthcarolina.com
What a wonderful accomplishment for the parents in South Carolina. It is also important to note that the senate’s version of this bill, S0234, was sponsored by Dorechester‘s state senator, Sean Bennett.