Texas Parental Right to Direct Upbringing, Education, and Health Care of Children Amendment (2023)

Texas Parental Right to Direct Upbringing, Education, and Health Care of Children Amendment
Election date November 7, 2023
Topic Constitutional rights
Status Not on the ballot
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

The Texas Parental Right to Direct Upbringing, Education, and Health Care of Children Amendment was not on the ballot in Texas as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 7, 2023.

The amendment would have established a right in the Texas Constitution for parents or legal guardians "to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child and to make decisions for the upbringing of the parent’s child, including but not limited to decisions regarding the education, moral and religious training, and health care of the child".

Text of measure

Full text

The full text of the amendment can be read here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Texas Constitution

To put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment before voters, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required in both the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives.

This amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 70 on February 28, 2023. On April 19, 2023, the state Senate passed SJR 70 by a vote of 28-3.

Vote in the Texas State Senate April 19, 2023
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 21  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	28	3	0
Total percent	90.3%	9.7%	0.0%
Democrat	9	3	0
Republican	19	0	0

See also

2023 measures

• 2023 ballot measures
• Constitutional right on the ballot
• 2023 legislative sessions

Texas

• Texas ballot measures
• Texas ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Texas Senate Joint Resolution 70