East Central Reporter

U.S. Representative Mary Miller (R-IL) has announced her support for a bill aimed at safeguarding parental rights in the face of growing debates surrounding gender transitions for children. She expressed pride in co-sponsoring the Guaranteeing Unalienable and Anatomical Rights for Dependents (GUARD) Act with Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN).

“I am proud to co-sponsor this bill with Congressman Jim Banks to protect parental rights. Leftists want to take children away from their parents if they refuse to castrate their child. The left has gone too far, and this madness must stop!” Miller said on Facebook.

The GUARD Act, introduced by Banks who represents Indiana’s 3rd House District, aims to prevent federal funds from reaching states that discriminate against parents opposing their child’s gender identity claims different from their biological sex. The legislation specifically targets eligibility for Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) funds, ensuring child protective services do not discriminate against parents adhering to a traditional understanding of their child’s gender identity. It mandates parental consent before schools facilitate any aspect of a student’s gender transition and forbids schools from withholding information about a child’s purported gender identity from parents.

The legislation, a companion to Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AR) bill, seeks to prevent children from being removed from homes where parents resist what is perceived as the left’s radical gender ideology.

In a press release, Banks emphasized the importance of protecting parental rights and preventing schools from becoming platforms for what he referred to as the “Left’s radical agenda” on gender. The legislation includes enforcement mechanisms, such as a private right of action allowing parents to take legal action against schools violating the Act. The bill proposes disqualifying states from federal funds if they discriminate against parents opposing a child’s claims of a gender identity different from their biological sex.

“School is where children go to learn math, history and science, not to learn about woke gender ideology. No parent should have to worry about a school teacher or administrator coaching their child to ‘gender transition.’ My bill protects parental rights and ensures federally funded schools are not laboratories for the Left’s radical agenda,” Banks said in a press release.

The legislation not only establishes guidelines for parental involvement but also includes mechanisms for enforcement. It introduces a private right of action, enabling parents to take legal action against schools that violate the Act.

Moreover, federal funds to K-12 schools failing to comply with the requirements outlined in the bill would be restricted.

Banks took to Facebook to promote the bill.

“My bill would stop states from separating children from parents who reject the radical Left’s transgender agenda! Stop the madness!!” Banks said on Facebook.