A Florida Representative introduced the “Stop Secret Counseling of Students Act.”
Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna introduced the legislation to increase transparency in public schools and reinforce the role of parents in their children’s upbringing. The bill would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit federal funding from going to public elementary and secondary schools that provide counseling, therapy, or guidance related to gender identity to students under the age of 18 without parental involvement.
“Parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening in their child’s life, especially when it comes to sensitive and life-altering issues,” said Republican Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna. “Schools should never act as a substitute for parents or encourage children to keep secrets from their families.”
Key provisions of the Stop Secret Counseling of Students Act include:
- Funding Accountability: Schools that provide gender-related counseling or guidance to minors would be ineligible for federal funding under the Act.
- Parental Transparency: School employees and contractors would be prohibited from encouraging or assisting students in withholding information about gender identity or social transition from their parents.
- Parental Legal Recourse: Parents would have the right to pursue legal action against schools that violate these provisions.
Rep. Luna, who represents Pinellas County, emphasized that the Stop Secret Counseling of Students legislation is designed to ensure that parents remain the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives.
“This bill is about restoring trust, accountability, and common sense in our education system,” Rep. Luna added. “Families, not government institutions, should guide children through important personal decisions.”
