SB 5181: Amends I-2081 aka the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” to bring it into alignment with the anti-discrimination language of RCW 28A.642

This bill repeals the access granted to parents to review their child's medical and mental health records, any counseling records, if the child is taken off campus for care or any disciplinary measures or expulsion. The student's attendance records are also removed from parent access. 

Written testimony submitted by Julie Barrett on behalf of Conservative Ladies of Washington:

Dear Chair Wellman and members of the Senate K12 Education Committee,

I am writing today to in opposition to SB 5181 on behalf of Conservative Ladies of Washington, a citizen activist organization I founded in March of 2021. Our organization represents over 20,000 ladies and men across the state of Washington. While I no longer reside full time in Washington state, I remain President of our Board of Directors. 

In March of 2021 my daughter who was 14 years old was urged by social workers at Seattle Children’s Hospital to go to a youth homeless shelter upon discharge. This was the beginning of years of my daughter being in state care in one capacity or another and being encouraged by adults to make decisions without involving her parents, which have had devastating consequences for her that have made her life much more difficult than it should be. A child in crisis is not in a position to make critical decisions about the medical or mental healthcare. Most 14 year olds have no idea about the details of their medical background, making it extremely irresponsible and dangerous for adults in the schools to encourage these students to make decisions without involving their parents. 

If this was truly about “protecting scholars” as Senator Wilson claimed when she spoke about the bill, the legislature would encourage parent engagement in medical and mental health care and would welcome their involvement in decision making. 

I get emails all the time from parents who have children in crisis and they have been cut out of the equation, unable to help and advocate for their children. These parents ask my advice. The best advice: get your children out of Washington!! Many parents have left Washington as a result of your anti-family policies and if you pass SB 5181, 5123 and 5180, you will continue to see and exodus of families…taxpaying families. 

While I realize my words will likely fall upon deaf ears, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to the parents and children in Washington to be a voice. Children have a RIGHT to the protection of their PARENTS. The state of Washington is NOT the parent. These policies cause great harm to children, causing them to drop out of school, rely on state resources, only to be kicked out on the street on their 18th birthday. 

Parents sent a message to the legislature with I-2081. It is a slap in the face to the taxpaying citizens of WA for the legislature to remove the most critical pieces of that initiative. If you truly wanted to do the will of the people (aka your bosses) you would bring the existing RCWs into compliance with I-2081. 

I will also submit this through the legislature website for the official record. 

This is a dangerous bill and I hope you will vote no on passing it out of committee.