Democrats in Washington State have voted against a measure that ensures schools must notify parents when their children are sexually assaulted.
On Tuesday, Washington’s Democrat Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1296 into law.
The bill repeals and replaces key elements of Initiative 2081, a parental rights measure backed by more than 454,000 state voters just one year ago.
Under the new law, schools can now hide student sexual assaults from the parents of the victims.
BREAKING: Gov. Bob Ferguson has just signed the Democrats’ bill to gut the parental rights initiative, overturning the will of over 400,000 Washingtonians who backed Initiative 2081.
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) May 20, 2025
HB 1296 was introduced and passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
The legislation makes significant changes to the original initiative.
The original measure, Initiative 2081, guaranteed 15 rights to parents of public school students.
These rights included notification about academic performance, medical care, school safety issues, and law enforcement matters involving their children, along with access to educational and medical records.
Opponents say the new legislation removes or weakens many of these protections.
Among the most contentious provisions of HB 1296:
- Schools are now allowed to delay parental notification when incidents involving students occur.
- Parents no longer have guaranteed access to their children’s medical and mental health records.
- There is no longer a requirement for schools to immediately notify parents when students receive medical services from school staff or government employees.
- The bill permits schools to delay notifying parents by up to two days if their child is the victim of a crime or sexual assault while on school property.
- Parents seeking legal remedies when their rights under the original initiative are violated face new procedural hurdles.
- The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has been granted expanded authority to enforce compliance, including the power to sanction school districts.
The measure passed strictly along party lines, with every Republican legislator opposing the bill.
Rep. Travis Couture (R-Allyn), a lead opponent of the legislation, called HB 1296 a “slap in the face to democracy.”
Couture criticized his colleagues across the aisle for dismantling a law they had previously supported.
“We have seen a stunning amount of sexual misconduct and sexual assaults by educators in our schools just in the last year,” Couture said during floor debate.
He offered an amendment requiring immediate parental notification if a student was sexually abused by a school employee.
However, it was voted down by the Democrat majority.
The bill’s passage and signing have drawn national attention and condemnation from conservative leaders.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) previously called the bill “utterly insane.”
Serious question:
How does ANYONE—no matter how Left-wing—vote against informing parents that their child has been sexually assaulted at school?
Utter insane. https://t.co/xcjLGiawEN
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 1, 2025
President Donald Trump also responded in a post on Truth Social, writing:
“Washington State Democrats voted not to inform parents if a child is sexually abused by a school employee.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also shared the news, amplifying criticism of the legislation across social media.
The grassroots organization that initiated and campaigned for Initiative 2081, Let’s Go Washington, also issued a sharp rebuke following the bill’s signing.
Founder Brian Heywood spoke to Talk Radio 570 KVI’s Ari Hoffman Show.
Heywood called the new law “a direct assault on parents and a damnation of Governor Ferguson’s claim to be a moderate for Washingtonians.”
“We will do everything in our power to reverse this gutting of the Parental Rights Bill,” Heywood stated.
He indicated that the group would begin mobilizing immediately to undo the law.
Before Initiative 2081 went into effect on June 6, it faced legal challenges from civil rights groups.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued that its language could negatively affect LGBTQ+ and other vulnerable youth.
A state judge dismissed the lawsuit, but advocacy groups have maintained opposition.
Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) and Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle), defended HB 1296.
The top state Democrats claim that most of Initiative 2081’s provisions already existed in state policy.
“Young women, if they’re old enough to get pregnant, they’re old enough to make their own decisions about what happens with their bodies & parents do not have the right to change that or make a different decision or be notified in advance.”
WA Senate Majority Leader Jamie… pic.twitter.com/CQYS7QFXXH
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) February 11, 2025
In an op-ed in The Seattle Times, they claimed 90 percent of the initiative’s content was redundant.
However, Pedersen previously faced criticism after stating that “Parents don’t have the right to have notice, they don’t have a right to have consent about that.”
The remark was widely circulated by critics of the bill.
Washington Democrat leader says the quiet part out loud
“Kids over 13 have the right to make their own decisions about their healthcare. Parents don’t have the right to have notice, they don’t have a right to have consent about that.” – Sen Majority Leader Jamie Pederson (D) https://t.co/DpYUlfsXJb
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) February 7, 2025
Let’s Go Washington has signaled it is preparing a formal challenge.
The group plans to reignite its statewide campaign.
Let’s Go Washington has a record of successful grassroots mobilization and has pledged to restore what it calls “basic protections for parental involvement.”
“The Governor and his party have shown their true colors,” Heywood said.
“This is not about politics.
“It’s about trust, transparency, and the basic rights of parents to know what’s happening in their children’s lives.
“And Washington families will not forget it.”
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