Bill > HB2426

This bill establishes and strengthens parental rights in Missouri, asserting that parents have a fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, healthcare, and mental health of their children without government interference, unless the government can prove a compelling interest and uses the least restrictive means. It outlines specific parental rights, including directing education (with choices for public, private, home, or family-paced schooling), accessing educational and health records, making healthcare decisions, consenting to biometric scans or DNA record creation/sharing, and being notified of suspected child abuse or neglect unless it endangers the child. The bill also requires schools to obtain written parental consent for significant changes to a child's individualized education program (IEP), which is a plan for students with disabilities, and mandates that school districts maintain a searchable, publicly accessible online financial ledger of all their financial transactions. Additionally, it modifies existing law to allow minors to consent to medical treatment for pregnancy (excluding abortions) and clarifies that consent from one authorized person is sufficient for medical treatment.