Parental Rights Relief Act

The Parental Rights Relief Act proposes significant amendments to the General Education Provisions Act, specifically targeting the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) . Its core purpose is to empower parents and eligible students by granting them a private right of action . This new provision allows individuals to directly sue educational agencies or institutions in federal court for alleged violations of their rights under these acts. Under the bill, aggrieved parents or students (aged 18 or attending postsecondary education for FERPA, or emancipated for PPRA) can seek various forms of relief, including declaratory relief , injunctive relief , and the recovery of reasonable attorney's fees and costs . A crucial aspect of this right is that these civil actions can be commenced without first exhausting any available administrative remedies. Additionally, the bill mandates the Secretary of Education to establish an office and review board to investigate and adjudicate complaints within 90 days, and permits the Attorney General to intervene in these civil actions if they are of general public importance.