Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2616, the so-called Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, because the name bears little resemblance to what the bill actually does.

What it does is require schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or changing a student's sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms, and that is for all students in middle school or elementary school.

This bill would prohibit the use of Federal funds to teach so-called gender ideology, whatever that is. Specifically, it bars any discussion of transgender people or topics in the classroom, banning books with transgender characters or that even discuss the existence of transgender people.

It is well established in statute that the States and districts determine their curriculum without interference from the Federal Government. This bill takes away State and local control of curriculum in education, the very thing that the current administration claims they are giving back to States by illegally dismantling the Department of Education.

Parental involvement is important, and I support that. It works in virtually all cases, but this bill is not about involvement. It is about Federal coercion forcing schools into situations where they may have to disclose sensitive information about a student, even when they know it could put that child's safety at risk.

It goes beyond theory. It creates absurd situations. For example, my name is Robert. I go by Bobby. Under this bill, my middle school coach would need parental permission before listing me as Bobby on the sports roster. What if they write ``Rob'' instead? Would they have to go back and get parental consent?

This bill fails to clarify key questions, such as whether both parents must be notified and give permission.

Who will oversee these requirements if this administration continues illegally dismantling the Department of Education?

What it does make clear is that if the school gets it wrong, then they risk losing Federal funding. That is not protecting kids. It won't make trans students disappear. It is just micromanaging schools and wasting everybody's time.

This bill does nothing to improve literacy, improve teacher shortages, promote safe learning environments, support student mental health, or otherwise improve education. The bill is unnecessary, overbroad, and potentially harmful.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Grijalva).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Vermont (Ms. Balint).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Frost).

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter opposing the bill from PFLAG. They say that this harmful bill would strip schools of Federal funds for even acknowledging the existence of transgender people and would make schools less safe for all students by putting barriers between vulnerable students, their teachers, counselors, and other trusted adults.

PFLAG National,

Washington, DC, May 20, 2026.

House Democratic Members

C/O: House Democratic Legislative Directors and Education

Staff

RE Vote NO on H.R. 2616.

To whom it may concern: PFLAG National, the nation's

largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and

advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them, urges

all Representatives to vote NO on H.R. 2616.

This harmful bill would strip schools of federal funds for

even acknowledging the existence of transgender people and

would make school less safe for all students by putting

barriers between vulnerable students, their teachers,

counselors and other trusted adults.

America is a country of freedom of speech and freedom of

ideas. Those freedoms end when politicians start banning

books and censoring curriculum simply because some people

find them uncomfortable. Children deserve an honest and

accurate education that enables them to learn about diverse

identities and experiences to help create a better future.

A public-school education helps students prepare for their

future by encouraging curiosity and critical thinking through

math and science, art and music, history and literature. But

H.R. 2616 would force schools to purge books from their

libraries that merely acknowledge that transgender people

exist. It sets a dangerous precedent when politicians simply

start censoring school content and books they don't like.

The politicians and groups behind these bills want to use

our laws to control what students can and cannot read, what

they can and cannot learn, and--most troublingly--who they

can and cannot be. Our schools should protect all students--

including LGBTQ students--so they can learn and thrive in a

safe environment where they can see themselves reflected in

the books they read.

H.R. 2616 also forces school counselors, teachers, and

other staff to out transgender children to their parents,

regardless of the child's wishes and well-being. What this

bill does is tell every student, LGBTQ+ or not, that they

cannot trust the adults at school.

Kids who have one trusted adult in their life are more

likely to reach out for help

when they need it and less likely to engage in harmful or

self-harming behaviors. For LGBTQ+ youth, the process of

coming out is deeply personal and involves risk--because 4 in

5 LGBTQ+ youth face stigma, discrimination and harm at school

and 2 in 5 youth who are homeless are LGBTQ+ kids whose

parents rejected them. Having a trained, trusted adult who

can help a student navigate the coming out process safely,

including helping them develop a safety plan to bring in

their parents, is vital to an LGBTQ+ youth's safety. H.R.

2616 yanks their safety net away.

Please OPPOSE H.R. 2616 and get back to work ensuring ALL

students can get a quality public education.

Sincerely,

Brian K. Bond,

CEO, PFLAG National.

Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record a letter from Advocates for Trans Equality, which says, in part, the bill would harm transgender and nonbinary students in kindergarten through 8th grade by erecting barriers to best-practice student supports, such as recognizing a student's name, pronouns, and providing access to appropriate sex-based facilities. The bill would also impose broad unconstitutional limits on the speech and academic freedom of students and educators alike, while prohibiting any discussion of ``gender ideology,'' a term coined by anti-trans activists to dehumanize trans people.

Advocates for Trans Equality,

May 20, 2026.

Dear Members of Congress: On behalf of your transgender

constituents and their allies, Advocates for Trans Equality

urges Members of Congress to vote NO on H.R. 2616. This bill

would harm transgender and nonbinary students in grades

Kindergarten through 8th grade by erecting barriers to best-

practice student supports, such as recognizing a student's

name and pronouns and providing access to appropriate sex-

based facilities. The bill would also impose broad

unconstitutional limits on the speech and academic freedom of

students and educators alike by prohibiting any discussion of

``gender ideology,'' a term coined by anti-trans activists to

dehumanize trans people.

Trans students are being driven out of traditional school

settings by pervasive harassment and discrimination. Survey

data has found that 71 percent of trans and nonbinary

students have felt unsafe at school due to their LGBTQI+

identity and that 7 percent of LGBTQI+ students have changed

schools due to concerns about safety and comfort. This bill

will make it harder for educators to provide trans students

support in the form of respecting a student's pronouns and

name, which data shows produces better mental health outcomes

for trans youth. Moreover, the bill could force schools to

prohibit trans students who cannot obtain parental consent

from using the appropriate facilities, exposing transgender

students to higher risk of sexual assault. This, in turn,

results in a less safe educational environment for all. Trans

students must have access to the support and protection

necessary for them to enjoy a quality public education.

The bill goes further by censoring any discussion of

transgender identity at any K-12 school--an unprecedented

attack on the free speech and academic freedom of students

and educators. No school curriculum can be complete without

some acknowledgement of transgender people, who have always

been a part of North American history, predating the arrival

of European colonists. Transgender children will exist

regardless of whether their schools acknowledge them. This

bill would further stigmatize and isolate them by all but

erasing them from their very own classrooms. This is a

patently unconstitutional, un-American restriction of free

speech that will profoundly harm vulnerable children if

passed.

Advocates for Trans Equality urges every Member of Congress

to defend civil liberties and the right of every student to a

safe learning environment and a quality education by voting

NO on H.R. 2616.

Sincerely,

Advocates for Trans Equality.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, we should be asking who this bill actually helps. It is not needed for most situations where you can involve parents in constructive dialogue about a student, but it does not help students who confide in a trusted teacher because they feel unsafe at home. It does not help educators trying to create a supportive learning environment. It does not help students already stretched thin and trying to meet students' real needs.

What it does is impose a rigid Federal mandate that ignores context, disregards student safety, and prioritizes politics over people.

We can support parents without putting children at risk. We can respect local control without Federal overreach. We should be focused on legislation that improves students' lives, not bills that create new problems.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call up the bill (H.R. 2616) to require public elementary and middle schools that receive funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to obtain parental consent before changing a minor's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 2616.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2616, the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act.

For years, concerned parents have felt ignored as education bureaucrats push radical agendas in schools without their knowledge or input.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when kitchen tables became classrooms, parents got a firsthand look at what was really being taught. What many saw raised serious concerns. Instead of focusing on the basics like math and reading, many teachers and schools were introducing controversial lessons on gender ideology and pronouns, all while student achievement plummeted and continues to this day.

In the years since then, those concerns have only grown. Many schools are engaged in systematic attempts to erode parental rights. Schools are facilitating gender transitions or encouraging students to change their names and pronouns without telling parents.

These are enormously consequential decisions that have lasting impacts on a child's well-being and development. Parents deserve to be part of those conversations.

One study from Defending Education found that at least 21,000 schools across the United States have policies that allow or encourage staff to hide a student's name change or gender identity. This lack of transparency risks confusion, undermines trust, and weakens the essential partnership between families and schools. It also places teachers in difficult positions, sometimes expecting them to withhold information from parents or be less than fully transparent.

These policies are incredibly harmful to children and families. In fact, we are now seeing a wealth of data to prove that children and teenagers who seek out drastic, life-altering medical procedures often struggle with mental health issues now and beyond. Instead of supporting kids, these secretive gender transitions, often encouraged by radical school officials, do more harm than good.

At the same time, many parents are asking a simple question: Why aren't schools more focused on helping students recover academically?

Test scores in key subjects remain stagnant or have declined, and students are still working to overcome pandemic-era learning loss.

Parents, teachers, and school leaders should be working together to support student success, not be at odds with one another.

That is why I am proud to lead H.R. 2616, the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, alongside my friend and colleague, the vice chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, Congressman Burgess Owens. This bill takes monumental strides to restore parental rights and educational sanity.

H.R. 2616 affirms the right of parents to be in charge of their children's upbringing and ensures schools remain partners in a child's education, instead of usurping the role and rights of parents altogether. The bill also establishes clear guardrails to ensure taxpayer dollars are used to support learning, not indoctrinate kids in radical ideology and agendas.

At its core, this bill is grounded in a simple principle, Mr. Speaker. That principle is that parents want what is best for their kids. Schools should be partners in that effort.

I believe Members on both sides of the aisle share the goal of helping students succeed. This legislation moves us in that direction by strengthening trust, improving transparency, and keeping the focus where it belongs: on students' education.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly would agree that this bill will promote good mental health and security and probably academic success in the process.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens), who is the bill's co-lead and vice chair on the Education and Workforce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messmer), a great member of the Education and Workforce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), a special member of the Education and Workforce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Harris), a great member of the Committee on Education and Workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close if the gentleman from Virginia is, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, this issue is about parents, their children, and the protection of both.

This bill also protects teachers. It gives them the opportunity to use the resources already available to them to protect students, but not do that at the expense of parental rights.

Every parent in this country wants the same basic thing: to know what is happening in their child's life and to be able to guide them through it. That is not political. It shouldn't be. That is just being a parent.

Too many families today--and it is the majority of them--feel like they are being cut out of decisions that matter: decisions that affect their child's identity, their well-being, and their future. These are life-changing decisions that are being allowed and encouraged that are destructive. That is not how our schools are supposed to work.

Schools should be partners with parents, not replacements for them. Trust between families and educators is essential. That trust starts with honesty and transparency.

The Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act is just what it says. It is about restoring that trust. It is about making sure parents are informed, respected, and involved. It is making sure kids are protected.

At a time when students are still working to recover from significant learning loss, our focus should be clear: strong academics, honest communication, and helping every child succeed.

That is what this legislation does, Mr. Speaker. It puts parents back where they belong: at the center of their child's life and education. In fact, it mandates and strongly encourages parents to be back there with their kids. That is a good thing.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2616, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Republicans' don't say trans and forced outing bill. This misguided legislation is a cruel attack on transgender children who exist, whether the other side wants to recognize that or not, who are already among the most vulnerable in our society.

This bigoted bill not only infringes on American students' First Amendment rights by censoring curricula and banning books, but it also tries to erase American history and to erase the existence of transgender people by banning discussions of LGBTQ people and their families.

Furthermore, while many parents are aware of and supportive of their children's gender expression, in some cases, outing a student could lead to abuse or putting the child in harm's way. We should not force teachers to knowingly put vulnerable students in danger or to violate the trust they have built.

Every student deserves a safe and affirming school environment to learn, to develop social skills, and to grow. But Republicans are focused on spreading hate instead of protecting and supporting students.

Vote ``no'' on H.R. 2616.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter in opposition to this bill from the National Women's Law Center Action Fund.

National Women's Law Center Action Fund,

Washington, DC, April 28, 2026

Re Vote NO on H.R. 2616, Stopping Indoctrination and

Protecting Kids Act.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the National Women's Law

Center Action Fund, we urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2616, the

so-called Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act,

which would result in an unprecedented federal intrusion into

curriculum decision making and classroom discussions.

The NWLC Action Fund firmly opposes this anti-trans bill

that will censor classroom discussions, police free

expression, add administrative burdens to schools, and

encourage unequal treatment of marginalized youth in schools.

H.R. 2616 would withhold federal funds under the Elementary

and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for education agencies

that ``teach or advance concepts related to gender

ideology.'' This provision would both dictate curricular

choices while also serving as a ``Don't Say Trans'' bill that

could chill classroom discussions.

Federal law has long recognized that the federal government

should not intervene in state and local curriculum

development, with the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015

clarifying that the federal government shall not ``mandate,

direct, or control ... instructional content or materials

[and] curriculum.'' At least eight states have local laws

that require LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum. H.R. 2616 would

dictate federal limitations on curriculum, overriding state

discretion and opening the door to far greater federal

involvement in deciding what is taught in the classroom.

Additionally, the prohibition on ``advanc[ing] concepts''

could be construed--as other similar state ``Don't Say

Trans'' bills have been--to silence discussion or support for

transgender people. This could impact the availability of

Gay-Straight Alliance and Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA)

clubs to support LGBTQIA+ students, result in prohibitions on

Safe Space stickers or Pride flags, and also result in

hostile employment environments for transgender teachers who

simply talk about their own identity or experience.

H.R. 2616 is overbroad and would both infringe on free

expression and create additional administrative burdens for

schools by requiring parental consent before schools could

recognize a change in a child's preferred name, pronouns,

gender marker, or sex-based accommodations. Although the bill

is clearly targeting transgender and gender-expansive

students, the overbroad requirement will have an impact on

all students who want to be known by a nickname. In 2023, for

example, Florida required schools to collect consent forms

before 3 student named Robert could be known as Bobby.

Ultimately, this additional administrative burden will chill

classroom dynamics, requiring forms before decency and

putting bureaucracy in between teachers and their students.

H.R. 2616 would encourage unequal treatment of marginalized

youth in schools. Inclusive policies that affirm LGBTQIA+

students' identities play a critical role in mitigating

social isolation, harassment, and adverse mental health

outcomes, especially for transgender and gender-expansive

students. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) have reported staggering mental health disparities

faced by LGBTQIA+ youth, with the majority (53 percent) of

transgender students having seriously considered attempting

suicide in 2023. Although schools often already encourage

family involvement where possible, H.R. 2616 will remove

essential tools that allow educators and school staff to

thoughtfully and carefully support transgender youth as

they're navigating the coming out process.

We strongly urge a NO vote on H.R. 2616. Please reach out

if you have any additional questions about this bill or our

position.

Best,

Brian Dittmeier,

Director of LGBTQIA+ Equality, National Women's Law Center

Action Fund.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in fierce opposition to this harmful attack on public schools.

Republicans are losing. Gas prices are skyrocketing. They have no plan to end the illegal and unpopular war in Iran. Rather than doing the work to solve these real problems, Republicans just keep going back to the same old, tired playbook of harassing trans kids and, it turns out, calling us Marxists.

This time they want to give the Trump administration broad authority to cut off Federal public school funding if a school teaches or advances anything that the administration deems to be gender ideology.

Mr. Speaker, this could be anything.

A teacher doesn't get parental consent before using a student's nickname on a school form; a book in their library includes a transgender character; a teacher has a Pride Flag hanging in the classroom.

As the parent of two teenagers myself and as a former public school teacher, I want all kids to be protected and supported at school as they learn, as they grow, and as they figure out who they are.

For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee.

If the House rules had permitted it, I would have offered this motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would prevent this bill from taking effect until the Secretary of Education proves that the Department is taking the necessary steps to

protect women and girls from sexual harassment and violence.

I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record immediately prior to the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record as well a letter opposing the bill from the American Booksellers Association.

Honorable Members of the US House of Representatives: I

write on behalf of the American Booksellers Association, the

trade association of independent bookstores representing over

3,200 bookstore companies nationwide, to express our deep

concern with H.R. 2616. This book censorship bill would chill

expression across the book industry, hurt small businesses,

and decrease the variety of books in the marketplace.

H.R. 2616 is a national book ban bill, and even its authors

likely cannot say where the banning will stop. The

prohibition on use of ESEA funds to ``teach or advance gender

ideology'' could impact everything from picture books about

crayons to Plato's Symposium, and it appears to apply to

library materials as well as curriculum. The key term,

``gender ideology,'' is defined only in an executive order

that has not been approved by Congress and could change in

future administrations. It is not radical to say we should

know what a law does before we pass it.

Attacking ESEA funding, the largest source of federal

funding to public schools, defunds schools that are already

struggling, which also impacts the bookstores that serve

them. This vague bill would stymie or halt spending on all

books, regardless of content, as already-overburdened school

districts struggled to comply. Bookstores that supply local

districts with library materials, book fairs, and author

visits will see a massive decrease in book purchases. In

states where book bans are most common, booksellers have been

forced to shrink or discontinue their school programs,

impacting jobs and local economies.

We have alread started to see less diversity in the book

market due to book bans. School and library sales are

essential parts of the publishing ecosystem. When stories are

banned from that marketplace, authors are silenced and have

their livelihoods threatened. Book ban laws censor age-

appropriate stories that people just do not want told,

increasingly target history, and disproportionately impact

people of color, LGBTQIA2S+ people, and people with

disabilities. Loss of market diversity hurts readers as

consumers, as thinkers, and as human beings.

For the sake of small businesses and their employees, the

communities they enrich, the parents who want their kids to

learn about the world as it is through the safety of a kids

book, and the kids who just want to get back to their books,

please vote against this bill.

Sincerely,

Philomena Polefrone, Ph.D.,

Associate Director of Advocacy, American Booksellers

Association.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit. This is once again government overreach.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from Glisten opposing this bill.

[From Glisten, Apr. 29, 2026]

New York--Today, Glisten issued the following statement

urging Congress to vote NO on H.R. 2616 (aka PROTECT Kids

Act). This dangerous bill requires public elementary and

middle schools that receive funds under the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act of 1965 to obtain parental consent

before changing a minor's gender markers, pronouns, or

preferred name on any school form. It requires parental

consent for students to access appropriate in-school spaces,

such as locker rooms or bathrooms. It would also prohibit

school staff from discussing ``gender ideology,'' which is an

attempt to further marginalize transgender and non-binary

students.

Glisten's CEO Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she) issued

the following statement:

This bill would pose a great risk to student safety and

undermine safe learning environments. This legislation is yet

another example of federal overreach at the expense of our

Nation's students.

This act does nothing to actually protect a child's

freedoms, but instead, drastically limits the freedoms that

young people need to learn, explore, and grow as humans. This

act will stomp out students' ability to live authentically,

creating an environment where students who are different are

vilified and unwelcome. Our education system is meant to

create a world where youth can flourish as themselves and

where safety is paramount.

Many students find their safe space at school amongst

supporting adults and peers. Educators shouldn't be forced to

`out' their students, especially if a child's home situation

compromises their safety.

Glisten urges Congress to vote NO on this dangerous bill.

Glisten will always support LGBTQ+ students and prioritize

their education and safety, and we urge you to do the same.''

For press inquiries, please reach out to:

Mark Umbach, Lucky Break PR.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this so-called Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act.

This bill does not protect kids. In fact, it just bullies them.

From affordability to educational achievement, Congressional Republicans won't tackle the country's real issues. Instead, they are going back to their one very weird trick that we see over and over again: bills that obsess over the genitals of children.

We have dealt with cruel policies like this in Florida for years, and it hasn't stopped Florida from now ranking dead last in reading.

This bill threatens children by forcing teachers and staff to out kids to their parents even if it puts them in danger. You call this the PROTECT Kids Act. You say this is about protecting kids. Do you want to know the biggest danger to our kids and our children? It is not trans people. It is not queer people. It is not drag queens. It is not books. It is bullets. The leading cause of death for a child in this country is to be shot.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman if he can tell me what he intends to do to protect kids from the leading cause of death for kids.

That silence that you hear, that silence means they have got nothing. This bill does nothing to protect kids. It just bullies them.

Trans people have always existed. They always will exist, no matter what bills you pass. I hope this body, if you actually care about kids and care about their schooling, will fund public education. Why don't you make sure that the leading cause of death for a child isn't to be shot in their schools, shot on their block. Stop with bullying children and our most vulnerable people.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this bill.