States with Specific Requirements on Parental Notification

Many states have passed legislation specifying requirements for practitioners to notify parents of a student’s use of pronouns that are inconsistent with their biological sex. Listed below are states that have passed such legislation. These laws may affect audiologists and speech-language pathologists who work with such students.

This information is reviewed on an annual basis. Please be advised that laws, regulations, and policies may change at any time, so always check with your state for the most up-to-date information. This material is shared for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice, which can only be provided by an attorney.

Alabama

Alabama law prohibits school employees from encouraging or coercing a minor to withhold, or withholding themselves, the minor’s perception of their sex if inconsistent with their biological sex from their parents.

Reference: SB 184 (2022) [PDF]

Arkansas

Arkansas law restricts the use of a student’s preferred pronouns by a faculty member, teacher, or other employee of a school, if they are inconsistent with the student’s biological sex, or the use of a name other than the name on their birth certificate, without the written permission of the legal guardian.

Reference: HB 1468 (2023) [PDF]

Florida

Florida law states that employees, contractors, or students of a public K-12 school may not be required to refer to another person using their preferred pronouns if they do not correspond to their biological sex.

Reference: HB 1069 (2023) [PDF]

Idaho

Idaho law prohibits schools from enacting a policy that prohibits school employees from notifying parents about a student’s mental, emotional or physical health or well-being or encouraging a student to withhold such information from a parent.

Reference: HB 163 (2023) [PDF]

Idaho law also prohibits any public employee or public school or institution of higher education from knowingly and intentionally addressing a minor student by a name other than their legal name or by a preferred pronoun that does not correspond with their biological sex.

Reference: HB 538 (2024) [PDF]

Indiana

Indiana law requires the school to notify a parent in writing of any request made by the student to change their name or pronoun, title, or word to identify them.

Reference: HB 1608 (2023) [PDF]

Iowa

Iowa law prohibits a school district from knowingly giving false or misleading information to a parent of a student regarding the student’s gender identity or intention to transition to a gender that is different from the sex listed on their birth certificate.

Reference: SF 496 (2023) [PDF]

Kentucky

Kentucky law will not require school personnel or students to use pronouns for students that do not conform to that particular student's biological sex. School districts are not allowed to keep any student information confidential from a student’s parents.

Reference: SB 150 (2023) [PDF]

Louisiana

Louisiana law requires employees of public schools to use the name listed on the student’s birth certificate and the pronouns that align with the student’s biological sex unless their parent has provided written permission.

Reference: SB 81 (2023) [PDF]

Montana

Montana law specifies that calling a student by their legal name or referring to their biological sex is not a discriminatory practice.

Reference: HB 361 (2023) [PDF]

Montana will develop procedures by which a parent shall provide written consent before the parent's child uses a pronoun that does not align with their child's sex. If a parent provides written consent, a person may not be compelled to use pronouns that do not align with the child's biological sex.

Reference: SB 518 (2023) [PDF]

North Carolina

North Carolina law requires notice to the parent for any change in name or pronoun used by a student in school records or by school personnel.

Reference: SB 49 (2023) [PDF] (pending Governor’s signature)

North Dakota

North Dakota law forbids a school district, school or teacher from adopting a policy that requires or prohibits an individual from using a student’s preferred pronouns. A school district, school or teacher may not adopt a policy concerning a student’s transgender status without approval from their parent and may not withhold or conceal information about a student’s transgender status from their parent.

Reference: HB 1522 (2023) [PDF]

South Carolina

South Carolina law bans public school staff members from concealing information about a minor's perception of their sex if inconsistent with their biological sex from the minor's parent or legal guardian. South Carolina law also bans public school staff members from encouraging or coercing a minor to withhold that same information from the minor's parent or legal guardian.

Reference: H. 4624 (2024)

Tennessee

Tennessee law states that a public school or local education agency is not civilly liable if a teacher or employee refers to a student using a pronoun that is consistent with their biological sex, even if the pronoun is not their preferred pronoun.

Reference: SB 466 (2023) [PDF]

Tennessee law also bans an employee of a LEA or public charter school from knowingly giving false or misleading information to the parent of a student regarding the student's gender identity or the student's intention to transition to a gender that differs from the sex listed on the student's official birth certificate. The law allows parents to bring a civil action against the school district.

Reference: SB 1810 (2024) [PDF]

Utah

Utah law prohibits schools from enacting a policy that operates to shield a student’s education record from their parents or interferes with their parents’ fundamental rights.

Reference: SB 100 (2023) [PDF]

Virginia

Virginia’s Governor has adopted the Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia's Public Schools. This policy requires schools to keep parents informed of all aspects of the child’s health, social and psychological development. The policy states parents must be informed and given an opportunity to object before counseling services pertaining to gender are given.

Additionally, the policy requires school employees to only use the student’s official name or commonly associated nickname as well as the pronouns associated with their biological sex.

Reference: Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools (2023) [PDF]