HARRISBURG – The PA Senate State Government Committee held a public hearing reviewing Senate Bill 996, sponsored by Sen. Doug Mastriano of Adams, Cumberland, & York Counties, which would codify the rights of parents over the upbringing of their children. Sen. David Argall of Berks & Schuylkill Counties, who chairs the committee, said, “After listening to today’s compelling testimony from parents, I hope PA will take action and become the sixteenth state to codify protections for parental rights.” The hearing featured testimony from PA parents and parental rights advocacy groups. Testifiers discussed the importance of the parent-child bond, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning, and the inability of parents to remove inappropriate material from PA schools.
