Republican Texas Sen. Bob Hall introduced legislation Thursday barring classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

The bill also requires schools to notify parents when a child receives in-school services for physical, emotional or mental health issues and bars school employees from withholding information from parents’ about a child identifying as transgender. It comes amid growing concerns about the inclusion of classroom lessons and school activities addressing sensitive topics related to gender and sexuality which have triggered other states to restrict such activities. 

Under the legislation, parents could bring civil actions over unresolved complaints related to lesson plans that violate these rules or failure of school employees to inform them of issues related to their children’s health and well-being.

Republican Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton said stopping the sexualization of children was the state GOP’s top priority.

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