2025 Texas Proposition 15
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4 November 2025
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Parental Rights Amendment | ||||||||||
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| Source: The New York Times[1] | ||||||||||
2025 Texas Proposition 15 was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of Texas to declare that parents have the responsibility to nurture and protect their children, and that they have a fundamental right to "exercise care, custody, and control" of their children, including decisions relating to the child's upbringing. The amendment passed, receiving just under 70% of the vote, and the backing of all but one of Texas' 254 counties.
Senate Joint Resolution 34 placed the measure on the ballot. The resolution was introduced on February 7, 2025, by State Sen. Bryan Hughes. On March 11, 2025, the State Senate unanimously passed the measure 31 to 0, and on May 14, 2025, the State House passed an amended version in a 112 to 22 vote, with 16 legislators either absent or not voting.[2] The amended version removed a provision that would have restricted the state or a political subdivision from interfering with parental rights unless the interference was necessary to implement a compelling governmental interest and was narrowly tailored in order to reach that goal.[3] The State Senate concurred with the amended version unanimously on May 20, 2025.[2]
Viewpoints
Support
Political parties
The Libertarian Party of Texas backed the amendment, arguing that, "parents, not the state, should control children’s upbringing," and that, "Protecting family autonomy limits government overreach and preserves individual liberty."[4]
Legislators
State Rep. James Frank believed the amendment "would codify parental rights into the constitution", and would "provide clarity for attorneys, judges, and parents to avoid costly trials and attorneys’ fees.”[3]
Opposition
Legislators
State Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos did not support the amendment, believing that there was "a movement to remove the emphasis and the focus on children’s rights and their psychological, emotional and social needs." Ramos wanted to ensure that, as parental rights were being advocated for, that "we’re also ensuring that a child’s voice is being heard ... and for their rights in terms of them not just being the property or belonging to somebody but that they themselves are humans worthy of validation and independence?"[5]
