Passed House. Latest step, May 21, 2026: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The House passed it 217–198. It would change 1 section of existing law and would add 1 new provisions of its own.
How this bill changes the law
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H.R. 2616 would change 1 section of existing law, and would create 1 new provision of its own. Read from the bill text as sent to the Senate (May 21, 2026).
adds
changes words
removes or repeals
renumbers
Dashed lines: proposed, not law.
H.R. 2616Bill
Sec. 3(1)Prohibiting use of ESEA funds to teach gender ideology1 change
Sec. 3(2)Prohibiting use of ESEA funds to teach gender ideology1 change
Sec. 3(3)Prohibiting use of ESEA funds to teach gender ideology1 change
Sec. 2Parental consent requirement related to gender markers, pronouns, and preferred names on school forms and sex-based accommodationsnew law
20 U.S.C. 7906a new sectionadded (7)by H.R. 2616 Sec. 3(3)
(7) to teach or advance concepts related to gender ideology, as defined in section 2 of Executive Order 14168 (90 Fed. Reg. 8615; relating to defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the Federal Government); or
The bill says: by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
From the bill's official text on GovInfo and the U.S. Code, latest edition, which may not yet show changes made since.
What it does
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Parental Rights Over The Education and Care of Their Kids Act or the PROTECT Kids Act
This bill requires public elementary and middle schools, as a condition of receiving certain federal funds for elementary and secondary education, to obtain parental consent before changing a student's gender on school forms or changing a student's sex-based accommodations.
Specifically, an elementary school or a school consisting of only grades 5-8 must obtain parental consent before changing a minor student's (1) gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form; or (2) sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service (Introduced in House, Apr 3, 2025).
Our plain-language breakdown, with what it means for you and the case for and against, is written once a bill starts to move.
What has happened
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May 20, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 217 - 198 (Roll no. 184). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H3652) Roll call recordLibrary of Congress
Jan 13, 2026Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-441.Library of Congress