{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://marymiller.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-miller-senator-banks-cotton-introduces-bill-protect-children-united-states", "Rep. Miller, Senator Banks, Cotton Introduces Bill to Protect Children in the United States", "2025-09-03", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "House", "IL", "Mary E. Miller", "M001211", "marymiller.house.gov", "marymiller", "https://marymiller.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) introduced the Empower Parents to Protect Their Kids Act. This bill prohibits K\u201312 schools from concealing or supporting a student\u2019s adoption of an identity that does not align with their biological sex. The bill also grants parents the right to sue school districts that violate this Act by withholding information about their child. Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced the bill in the Senate.\n\n\u201cParents have the God-given right and duty to raise their children without being deceived by extremists in public education,\u201d said Congresswoman Mary Miller. \u201cWe must end the radical gender ideologies being pushed on our children and give parents the power to fight back.\u201d\n\n\u201cParents should never be kept in the dark about their own kids,\u201d said Senator Jim Banks. \u201cThis bill makes sure schools can\u2019t push radical gender ideology behind parents\u2019 backs and puts families back in charge where they belong.\u201d\n\n\u201cSchools should never be allowed to impose radical, harmful ideologies on children \u2013 especially without their parents\u2019 consent,\u201d said Senator Tom Cotton. \u201cOur bill protects students and ensures parents are in control of their children\u2019s education. Schools should remain institutions of education, not a place for radical liberal propaganda.\u201d\n\nKey Provisions of the Empower Parents to Protect Their Kids Act are:\n\nPrevents K-12 schools from hiding or facilitating a child\u2019s adoption of an identity that is incongruent with their sex.\n\nEmpowers parents to sue school districts that violate this Act by withholding information about their child.\n\nBans school employees from providing any accommodation to affirm the purported identity unless the employees have express parental consent to do so.\n\nPrevents school employees from withholding and encouraging children to withhold information from their parents about their discomfort with their sex.\n\nIncludes a rule of construction to ensure that school employees who contact legal authorities about an imminent threat to a student\u2019s physical safety are protected.\n\nBackground:\n\nAcross the U.S., over 1,200 school districts have policies that tell staff to withhold information from parents if a child expresses gender discomfort, according to Defending Education. This violates long-established parental rights upheld by the Supreme Court. Parents deserve the right to take legal action when schools interfere with raising their children.\n\nOn January 29, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order #14191 to enforce parental rights in federally funded K-12 education.\n\nRep. Mary Miller cosponsored the Empower Parents to Protect Their Kids Act in 2023.\n\nSupporting Organizations: Family Research Council, American Principles Project, Family Policy Alliance, Eagle Forum, Advance USA, Moms for America, American Family Project, Parents Defending Education, and Family Policy Alliance.\n\nHouse Cosponsors: Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Sheri Biggs, Keith Self, Lauren Boebert, Pat Harrigan, Barry Moore, Diana Harshbarger, Elise Stefanik, and Nancy Mace.\n\nSenate Cosponsors: Senators Roger Marshall, Rick Scott, Tommy Tuberville, and Marsha Blackburn.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://marymiller.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-miller-senator-banks-cotton-introduces-bill-protect-children-united-states"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9634720627218485, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}