Washington in Focus | Dems Approve Bill to Change Provisions of ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’ Initiative

(The Center Square) – Less than a year after Washington state lawmakers approved a parental rights initiative for those with children enrolled in public schools, majority party Democrats on Wednesday passed a bill out of the Senate that would rewrite provisions of the initiative. Senate Bill 5181 is described as amending the “parents’ bill of rights” initiative to align it with existing law. It would modify the initiative’s notification timeline for criminal acts involving students to reconcile it with Washington’s 48-hour rule, as opposed to immediately. Initiative 2081, adopted by lawmakers in 2024, gave parents and legal guardians of public-school children the right to access information about their child's academic, medical, safety, and law enforcement matters.