New Mexico House Republicans recently announced a free-to-download and print Parental Notification and Consent form for parents to give to schools in regard to major medical and sexual discussions and decisions.
New Mexico Republican Luis Terrazas believes this will help New Mexican parents maintain their right to be involved in their child’s healthcare.
“The core issue here is the rollback of parental involvement by this government, the same government that has failed so many children at CYFD and continues to reign worst in the country for child welfare,” State Rep. Luis Terrazas (R-Silver City) said in a press release.
“Ask any parent- their entire lives revolve around their children. You simply cannot replace a parent or guardian with a government employee or policy. This simple one-page form gives parents back their voice that has been severely undercut in recent months.
People across this state have been calling for action, and we are delivering a commonsense option for parents to remain informed and push back against this violation of their rights.”
According to a press release from the New Mexican House Republican Campaign Committee, a lot of debate in the 2023 legislative session centered on “a series of progressive bills designed to insert transgender and pro-abortion ideology in New Mexico Schools."
These Parental Notification and Consent forms were made available to the public in response to those bills passing.
The press release notes that there were several debates and amendments proposed to amend the language of these laws to limit them to children ages 15 and older, which House Democrats ignored or shut down.
Rep. Terrazas went on to say that he expects the schools and school districts to honor the parents who fill out these forms.
Although there are some school districts that do not require parents to get notified when it comes to medical and sexual discussions and decisions, Terrazas believes this form will go make it clear that “parents’ rights are paramount and must be respected, even if local policy says otherwise.”
The two bills which Rep. Terrazas and the House Republicans are talking about in their statements and press releases, according to the text of the Parental Notification and Consent form, are House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 397.
House Bill 7, the “Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Freedom Act,” guarantees access to gender-affirming health care and reproductive services, including abortion, by not allowing publicly-funded groups or individuals such as city councils, county commissions, advisory boards, school districts and public universities from discriminating or refusing these services.
Senate Bill 397 on the other hand will create and operate school-based health centers, in cooperation with school districts, operated by licensed healthcare providers.
These health centers will be able to provide care to students, with services including primary healthcare, preventative healthcare, treatment of some conditions, mental healthcare, and substance use assessments, treatment and referral.