Juneau -- The Alaska Senate today unanimously approved legislation that guarantees parental access to important records on children, and also requires school districts to share information with other districts about potentially dangerous transfer students.

"This legislation will help protect the rights of parents, as well as the health and safety of their children," stated Senator Loren Leman (R-Anchorage), sponsor of Senate Bill 27. Senator Leman introduced the legislation in response to a constituent who was denied access to her daughter's driving records by the Division of Motor Vehicles because state law declares such information to be "confidential and private."

SB 27 includes three sections affecting the records of children under the age of 18. The first section requires school districts to allow parental access to their children's education records. A second section requires school districts to transfer certain information about a child who moves from one school district to another. If the student has committed an offense that is punishable as a felony, or any offense involving the use of a deadly weapon, this information must be included in the record information that follows the student from one district to another. This provision will help school districts protect their students from potentially dangerous young offenders, said Leman. The third section of SB 27 allows parental access to a minor's driving records, which include accident reports and also any convictions for vehicle, driver or traffic offenses.

"The confidentiality protection for driving records is certainly necessary for adults, but it makes no sense in the context of the parent-child relationship," stated Senator Leman. "A parent must give consent before a driver's license is issued to a minor, and then the law holds the parent responsible for any damage caused by negligence or willful misconduct while the child is operating a vehicle. Yet the same law denies parents any right to check and see if their son or daughter is driving safely. This is clearly unfair, and SB 27 corrects the problem."

Senator Leman stated that Senate Bill 27 takes a small step toward helping parents fulfill their responsibilities. "I have often heard government officials implore parents to become more involved in the lives of their children. And there is good reason for this: studies have shown that a strong parent-child relationship reduces the likelihood of a young person becoming involved in drug and alcohol abuse, premature sexual activity, and other potentially harmful behavior. Unfortunately, rather than helping parents fulfill their responsibilities, government sometimes creates obstacles. SB 27 takes a positive step by removing some of these obstacles, and I am pleased it won unanimous support in the Senate today."

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