Summary of HF 5117 (2025-2026) – Minnesota
Title: Parent's Bill of Rights
Jurisdiction: Minnesota House of Representatives
Session: 94th Legislature (2025–2026)
Status: Introduced and referred to Judiciary Finance and Civil Law on May 5, 2026. Co-sponsors: Mike Wiener, Drew Roach, Marj Fogelman, Ben Davis.
Purpose and main intent
- Establishes a formal “Parent’s Bill of Rights” aimed at protecting and asserting the rights of parents or legal guardians over their minor children’s upbringing, education, and health care.
- Frames these rights as reserved and protected against interference by the state, political subdivisions, or other governmental entities, while clarifying limits and exceptions.
Key provisions and changes proposed
- New statute: Creates Minnesota Statutes, chapter 260C, section 260C.009, titled “Parent’s Bill of Rights.”
- Definitions (Subd. 2):
- Minor child: Anyone 17 years old or younger.
- Parent: Natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian of a minor child.
- Core rights and protections (Subd. 3, Parental rights reserved):
The bill enumerates several specific parental rights, including but not limited to:
1) Direct education of the minor child (public, charter, private, or home education).
2) Access to and oversight of all school records related to the minor child.
3) Direct upbringing of the minor child.
4) Direct moral or religious training of the minor child.
5) Informed consent in health care decisions for the minor child, including selection of health care team and consent/decline of biological, pharmaceutical, and supplemental interventions in coordination with the health care team.
6) Access to and review of all medical records and physical samples of the minor child.
7) Written parental consent before any physical or mental health examinations, except in medical emergencies.
8) Written parental consent before any pharmaceutical, surgical, or therapeutic interventions, except in medical emergencies.
9) Written parental consent before any biometric scan of the minor child (performed, shared, or stored).
10) Written parental consent before recording or storing any blood or DNA of the minor child, unless legally required or court-ordered.
11) Written parental consent before state or its subdivisions makes a video or voice recording of the minor child, with listed exceptions for specific uses (order/disciplined areas, legitimate academic/extracurricular activities, regular classroom instruction, security, or photo IDs).
12) Prompt notification if a state employee or related entity suspects a criminal offense against the minor child by someone other than the parent.
- Note on reporting and discipline (Subd. 3(a), (b), (c), (e)):
- An exception clarifies that the requirement to notify does not create new reporting obligations for schools to report misconduct like routine student disciplinary matters.
- Prohibits coercion or discrimination against parents exercising these rights and threatens discipline for state or local government employees who encourage withholding information from the parent or who discriminate against a parent exercising these rights.
- Limitations (Subd. 3(d)):
- The bill does not authorize or permit parental abuse or neglect under state law.
- Section is not to be construed to override life-ending parental actions or to prevent courts, law enforcement, or state agencies from acting within their lawful authority.
- Broad assertion of unalienable rights (Subd. 3(e)):
- States that, unless legally waived or terminated, parents retain inalienable rights that are more comprehensive than those listed; the rights are not to be limited or denied except as required by law.
Procedural and timeline aspects
- The bill introduces a new statutory framework and rights, with no immediate funding or implementation timelines specified within the text available.
- It includes standard legislative guardrails about medical emergencies, court orders, and legal requirements, indicating intended integration with existing legal and educational systems.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Education sector:
- Schools, districts, and charters would be under increased emphasis to obtain parental consent for a broad range of activities and data sharing (education choices, records access, health-related interventions, biometric and biological data, and recording permissions).
- Could affect how schools handle health screenings, mental health services, and certain medical interventions for students.
- Health care and records:
- Heightens parental control over health care decisions and access to medical records and biological samples, subject to general medical and privacy laws.
- Privacy and data:
- Expands parental consent requirements for biometric data, DNA, and recording, potentially affecting school surveillance practices and data sharing with third parties.
- Legal and disciplinary implications:
- Provides a potential basis for disciplinary action against public employees who attempt to circumvent or undermine these parental rights or who coerce information withholding.
- Conflicts and safeguards:
- Includes explicit limitations to avoid conflicting with life-preserving actions by medical professionals, courts, or law enforcement.
- Acknowledges existing laws and the possibility of waivers or terminations of certain rights through legal processes.
Overall assessment
- HF 5117 creates a comprehensive statutory framework aimed at reinforcing and broadening parental authority in education, health care, privacy, and related areas for minors. The bill asserts strong parental prerogatives and provides mechanisms for recourse if authorities attempt to infringe upon these rights, while including carve-outs for emergencies and legally required actions. If enacted, it would necessitate significant alignment across schools, health providers, and state agencies to ensure compliance and could influence how student information, health services, and disciplinary matters are managed.
