Parents' Bill of Rights Act – NJ A4776

The family is the first institution ordained by God, and Scripture is unambiguous that parents bear primary responsibility for the instruction and formation of their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Proverbs 22:6). New Jersey Assembly Bill 4776 affirms that responsibility in civil law by establishing a Parents' Bill of Rights Act that compels schools to disclose material information and prohibits the deliberate withholding of that information from the parents who are ultimately accountable for their children's welfare.

Among the bill's most significant provisions is a direct prohibition on schools concealing a child's gender identity changes from parents and guardians. When a child is navigating questions of identity, the people best positioned to provide love, guidance, and care are that child's own parents. Institutional policies that deliberately exclude parents from such sensitive developments do not protect children; they undermine the very relationships children depend on most.

The bill also guarantees parents the right to opt their children out of curriculum that conflicts with sincerely held religious or moral beliefs, and it requires parental consent before surveys touching on sexuality or personal beliefs may be administered. These provisions recognize that faith communities hold convictions about human nature, sexuality, and morality that deserve respect, not bureaucratic circumvention.

Critically, A4776 includes a complaint and enforcement mechanism, giving these rights practical force rather than leaving them as aspirational language. A right without a remedy is a suggestion. This enforcement structure transforms the Parents' Bill of Rights from a statement of intent into a genuine legal protection that families can rely upon.

The American Council supports this legislation as a substantive, principled step toward restoring the proper ordering of family authority over public institutions. We urge members of the New Jersey Legislature to advance this bill and deliver meaningful, enforceable protections to the parents and children of this state.