Proposition 15 - SJR 34 - Parental Rights
BALLOT LANGUAGE
WHAT IT MEANS
Yes
No
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST
Yes
"Right now, parental rights in Texas rest almost entirely on case law—interpretations made by judges that can change with time. New judges may not see these rights the same way. Under the current structure, those judges have complete control over whether those rights live or die. But under SRJ 34, that would change.
SJR 34 doesn’t create new rights. Instead, it locks in over a century of legal precedent to ensure these rights can’t be quietly stripped away. Once in the Texas Constitution, it would be very, very difficult for those rights to ever be lost.
And once passed, this protection will be one of the most durable forms of protection for families. SJR 34 is a safeguard for the future. Constitutional protections offer long-term security. They send a clear message: parents have the right to raise their children without unnecessary government interference..." - Family Freedom Project
“This amendment would enshrine in the Texas Constitution the inherent right of parents to care for and make decisions about their children’s upbringing. It would restrict state or local government interference unless justified by a compelling government interest using the least restrictive means.
Proposition 15 affirms individual liberty, personal responsibility, and limited government by codifying parental rights and ensuring state action is narrowly constrained. It empowers families to guide their children’s upbringing without unwarranted interference from public institutions.” - Texas Policy Research
“SJR 34 enshrines the fundamental right of parents to raise their children without unnecessary government interference. It constitutionally guarantees that decisions about a child’s upbringing—such as education, healthcare, and values—rest with parents, not bureaucrats or unelected judges. This amendment reinforces the principle that parents, not government agencies, are best suited to make choices for their children. It restrains the growth of state power and keeps decision-making closer to the home. It also reduces the risk of taxpayer-funded legal conflicts over parental rights by clarifying legal boundaries in advance. Codifying this protection into the Texas Constitution helps secure individual liberty, family autonomy, and taxpayer interests alike.” - Texans for Fiscal Responsibility
No
“Prop 15 would simply declare that parents have the inherent right to make decisions for their children. We should not have to put this into the State Constitution! God has already ordained that parents are to be responsible for their children, and government has no place in family decisions, except in the case of child abuse and neglect. In our opinion, if we put things like this into the Constitution, it equates to acknowledgement that the state has conferred this right. And we know that what the state can give, the state can take away.” - True Texas Project
“This sounds harmless. Who doesn’t want parents involved in their kids’ lives? But it’s a Trojan horse for the right’s culture war. This amendment would enshrine “parental rights” language in the Constitution, which will be used to attack LGBTQ kids, ban books, muzzle teachers, and weaken public schools. It’s about control, not care.” - Lone Star Left
"The right is fighting on multiple fronts to erase children’s rights in the name of “parental rights.” The talk about “parental rights” is framed to sound like commonsense. But this is little more than a pretext for an extreme political agenda that manipulates and exploits children to serve adult ends. The progress of centuries, from establishing public schools to enacting child labor laws to providing vaccinations, is under an unprecedented and organized siege.
The time is now to call out the “parental rights” movement for what it is: a weapon against our children. The conservative forces scaling back children’s rights are not righteous. They would destroy our kids’ horizons and the future of this country." - Marci Hamilton, CEO and Founder, CHILD USA
ENDORSEMENTS
Yes
FINANCIAL BACKING
The following information provides insight into the money being spent to pass or defeat the ballot measure.
Yes
TEXAS PROPOSITION 15, PARENTAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (2025)
The question is on the ballot in Texas as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 4, 2025. As of October 9, 2025, no committee to support or oppose the amendment has been identified. Thus, there is no record of funds raised to support either position.
No
TEXAS PROPOSITION 15, PARENTAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (2025)
The question is on the ballot in Texas as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 4, 2025. As of October 9, 2025, no committee to support or oppose the amendment has been identified. Thus, there is no record of funds raised to support either position.
OTHER INFORMATION
Yes
Parental Rights: A Foundational Account, The Heritage Foundation
The Supreme Court's Parental Rights Doctrine, ParentalRights.org
No
Bill Analysis, Senate Research Center
Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments, Texas Legislative Council
2025 Guide to the Constitutional Amendments, Texas Public Policy Foundation
