VA HB 2432

Title: Minor students experiencing gender incongruence; parental notification.
Author: David A. LaRock

Summary
Sage's Law; Minors and students self-identifying as a gender different from biological sex; counseling; parental notification; parental care. Requires any person licensed as administrative or instructional personnel by the Board of Education and employed by a local school board who, in the scope of his employment, has reason to believe, as a result of direct communication from a student, that such student is self-identifying as a gender different from the student's biological sex to contact as soon as practicable at least one of such student's parents to ask whether such parent is aware of the student's mental state and whether the parent wishes to obtain or has already obtained counseling for such student. The bill requires the Board of Education to include in its guidelines for making such contact criteria to assess whether students have begun to self-identify as a gender different from their biological sex and criteria for notification of and discussions with parents of students self-identifying as a gender different from their biological sex. The bill also prohibits any licensed school counselor, professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychologist or other counseling personnel in any school division from (i) encouraging or coercing a minor to withhold from the minor's parent the fact that the minor's perception of his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with the minor's biological sex or (ii) withholding from a minor's parent information relating to the minor's perception that his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with the minor's biological sex. Finally, the bill clarifies, in the definition of the term "abused or neglected child," that in no event shall referring to and raising the child in a manner consistent with the child's biological sex, including related mental health or medical decisions, be considered abuse or neglect.

Status
Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education

Bill Documents
VA HB 2432 - Presented and ordered printed 23103935D

VA HB 2432 - Committee substitute printed 23106311D-H1

VA HB 2432 - House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered

VA HB 2432 - House subcommittee amendments and substitutes adopted

VA HB 2432 - Amendment(s) for Committee: Education, Subcommittee: K-12, Recommended on 1/30/2023

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VA HB 2432