By Texas Families Being Asked to Collect DNA from Children
by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D. | Reprinted with permission from TheNewAmerican.com
“The state of Texas is sending public school students home with DNA kits designed to help their parents identify their children ‘in case of an emergency.’”
That was the opening sentence of a story published recently about the push by schools to compel parents to collect their children’s DNA so that their bodies would be easily identified in case they were the victim of an armed attack at the school.
Is the situation as dire as all that?
Here’s the back story, as published by Reason:
In 2021, Texas lawmakers passed a bill, S.B. 2158, mandating that all schools (including open-enrollment charter schools) send home fingerprint or DNA kits “on request” to … parents or legal guardians of children up through middle school. Parents may then use the kits and submit the identifying information to law enforcement officials if their child is kidnapped or trafficked. Participation is completely voluntary, and parents are supposed to keep the DNA samples at home in case something happens to their children.
Also related:
Without Consent: DNA from Newborn Babies is Being Used by Law Enforcement and Science
