Parents Bill of Rights
OSDE Guidance on Parental Right
OSDE Guidance on Library Media
Oklahoma Statutes Citationized
Title 25. Definitions and General Provisions
Parents' Bill of Rights
Section 2002 - Rights Reserved to Parents
Cite as: O.S. §, __ __
A. All parental rights are reserved to a parent of a minor child without obstruction or interference from this state, any political subdivision of this state, any other governmental entity or any other institution, including, but not limited to, the following rights:
1. The right to direct the education of the minor child;
2. All rights of parents identified in Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, including the right to access and review all school records relating to the minor child;
3. The right to direct the upbringing of the minor child;
4. The right to direct the moral or religious training of the minor child;
5. The right to make healthcare decisions for the minor child, unless otherwise prohibited by law;
6. The right to access and review all medical records of the minor child unless otherwise prohibited by law or the parent is the subject of an investigation of a crime committed against the minor child and a law enforcement official requests that the information not be released;
7. The right to consent in writing before a biometric scan of the minor child is made, shared or stored;
8. The right to consent in writing before any record of the minor child's blood or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is created, stored or shared, except as required by Sections 1-516 and 1-524.1 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or unless authorized pursuant to a court order;
9. The right to consent in writing before the state or any of its political subdivisions makes a video or voice recording of the minor child, unless the video or voice recording is made during or as a part of a court proceeding, by law enforcement officers during or as part of a law enforcement investigation, during or as part of a forensic interview in a criminal or Department of Human Services investigation or to be used solely for any of the following:
a. safety demonstrations, including the maintenance of order and discipline in the common areas of a school or on student transportation vehicles,
b. a purpose related to a legitimate academic or extracurricular activity,
c. a purpose related to regular classroom instruction,
d. security or surveillance of buildings or grounds, and
e. a photo identification card; and
10. The right to be notified promptly if an employee of this state, any political subdivision of this state, any other governmental entity or any other institution suspects that a criminal offense has been committed against the minor child by someone other than a parent, unless the incident has first been reported to law enforcement and notification of the parent would impede a law enforcement or Department of Human Services investigation. This paragraph does not create any new obligation for school districts and charter schools to report misconduct between students at school, such as fighting or aggressive play, that is routinely addressed as a student disciplinary matter by the school.
B. This section does not authorize or allow a parent to engage in conduct that is unlawful or to abuse or neglect a child in violation of the laws of this state. This section shall not be construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life. This section does not prohibit courts, law enforcement officers or employees of a government agency responsible for child welfare from acting in their official capacity within the reasonable and prudent scope of their authority. This section does not prohibit a court from issuing an order that is otherwise permitted by law.
C. Any attempt to encourage or coerce a minor child to withhold information from the child's parent shall be grounds for discipline of an employee of this state, any political subdivision of this state or any other governmental entity, except for law enforcement personnel.
D. Unless those rights have been legally waived or legally terminated, parents have inalienable rights that are more comprehensive than those listed in this section. The Parents' Bill of Rights does not prescribe all rights of parents. Unless otherwise required by law, the rights of parents of minor children shall not be limited or denied. The Parents' Bill of Rights shall not be construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life