American Family Association Action (AFA Action), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical, family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy. AFA Action is also the Governmental Affairs Affiliate of American Family Association (AFA).
TUPELO, Miss — A new federal law, and related rulemaking, is using government funding in schools to eliminate parental consent for children’s healthcare. Signed into law in 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act establishes government-funded “comprehensive health care services” in schools.
“The Biden administration is pushing for a broad expansion of ‘school-based services’ (SBS) in order to establish a government-run healthcare system through schools, all without parental consent,” said Dr. Jameson Taylor, director of policy and legislative affairs for AFA Action, the Government Affairs Affiliate of the American Family Association. “Proposed rules from the administration would weaken parental consent and put healthcare providers and education bureaucrats — instead of parents — in control of children’s healthcare.”
In late 2023, the Biden administration issued a 184-page guidance document, directing schools on how to bill Medicaid for school-based healthcare services. This follows proposed rulemaking from the U.S. Department of Education seeking to eliminate parental consent for health services for children with special needs.
“As has tragically happened in the past, the Biden administration is using special-needs children as a test case,” said Taylor. “If parental consent may be eliminated for medically complex children, there will be all the more reason to eliminate parental consent for every child and every parent. Fortunately, lawmakers are pushing back against this questionable federal rulemaking.”
Rep. Clay Staires in Oklahoma has introduced legislation (HB 3324) that would protect the rights of Oklahoma parents to make healthcare decisions for their children, including decisions related to contraception and abortion. “The Biden administration is using illegal and unconstitutional rulemaking to undermine the rights of parents to direct their children’s healthcare. I am fighting back to protect parents and children in Oklahoma,” said Staires. Staires’ bill is especially timely given that the Biden administration is redirecting Oklahoma’s Medicaid funding from the OK Department of Health to an out-of-state abortion provider.
In Mississippi, Rep. Lee Yancey has introduced legislation (HB 1100 and HB 1169) directing the state to refrain from implementing the federal government’s unconstitutional attempt to bypass parental consent and offer comprehensive healthcare services in schools. Said Yancey: “Legislation I have sponsored protects the rights of Mississippi parents to direct the healthcare of their children by requiring written consent for medical treatment. The Biden administration is reinterpreting the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and other federal laws to unlawfully deprive parents of their right to make healthcare decisions for their kids.”
For more information on how to stand up to this latest government attack on parental rights, click here.
AFA Action is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical, family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy. The mission of AFA Action is to inform and mobilize individuals to strengthen the biblical foundations of America by persuading individuals with the truth of the Gospel, challenging the lost to repent, promoting societal values that are consistent with Scripture, restraining evil and exposing the works of darkness, motivating people to take a stand on cultural and moral issues, and encouraging Christians to bear witness to the world the love of Jesus Christ. Find AFA Action Alerts here.
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To interview an AFA or AFA Action spokesperson, contact [email protected] or Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
AFA Action is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical, family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy. AFA Action is also the Governmental Affairs Affiliate of American Family Association.