On Monday, Dec. 6th, 2022, Rep. James Frank filed HJR 58, an amendment to the Texas Constitution that would protect the right of Texas parents to raise their children. The passage of the Parental Rights Constitutional Amendment is FFP’s top priority for the 2023 Texas legislative session.
A Parental Rights Amendment is the best way to ensure parental rights are protected for future generations. Right now, the rights of Texas parents rest almost entirely in the hands of unelected federal judges, who come and go regularly and could change their minds on parental rights at any time.
Passing a Parental Rights Amendment to the Texas Constitution is critical to the protection of parental rights in Texas for two reasons.
First, passing a Parental Rights Amendment to the Texas Constitution would significantly shrink the power of the federal government over questions of parental rights. This is because those rights would rest in the Texas Constitution, giving more authority to elected Texas judges rather than being only in federal constitutional case law.
Second, it would ensure the protection of these rights in the future because while case law can change quickly with the replacement of a single judge, an amendment to the Texas Constitution would be extremely difficult to repeal. Rights in the Texas constitution can only be lost if two-thirds of Texas legislators repeal them and a majority of Texas voters ratify the change.
How we pass an amendment to the Texas State Constitution
FFP’s team is prioritizing the passage of a constitutional amendment that would specifically protect the right of parents to make decisions regarding the care, custody, control, education, upbringing, moral and religious training, and medical care of their child. We are working with legislators, coalition partners, and legal experts to get this amendment passed.
To add an amendment to the Texas constitution, the proposed amendment has to pass the Texas House and Texas Senate, each by a two-thirds vote. The proposed amendment will then be placed on the ballot and must be ratified by a majority of Texas voters in November of 2023.
With the amendment now filed in the Texas House, it will be considered by the legislature during the upcoming legislative session, which takes place in January-May of 2023. FFP’s team will be on the ground in Austin, working directly with lawmakers to get the amendment passed and delivering regular updates to Texas families about the bill’s progress.
Want to help defend parental rights in Texas? Donate today so we can be an advocate fighting for you and all Texas families.