100 signatures reached
To: Virginia General Assembly
Protect Virginia Families: Pass the Parental Rights Bill
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Protect Virginia Families: Pass the Parental Rights Bill
For two years in a row, this bipartisan bill passed both chambers of the General Assembly with overwhelming support — only to be vetoed by the Governor.
For two years in a row, this bipartisan bill passed both chambers of the General Assembly with overwhelming support — only to be vetoed by the Governor.
Every day this law remains outdated, more parents face unnecessary investigations, separations, and trauma.
Across Virginia, parents are being unfairly punished for doing something that is completely legal — using
cannabis, methadone and other prescribed medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
cannabis, methadone and other prescribed medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
In Virginia cannabis is legal for adult use. MOUD are medications recognized as evidence-based treatments that support recovery. However, our family courts still rely on outdated laws and assumptions that treat the lawful presence of these medications as automatic evidence of abuse and/or neglect.
Parents who are managing chronic pain, maintaining sobriety, or using prescribed treatments responsibly should never have to choose between their health and their children. Families deserve stability, not punishment, for following medical advice and state law.
Why is this important?
The Parental Rights Bill is a simple, common-sense reform. It brings Virginia’s child and family system in line with current science and policy by:
- Protecting families from discrimination based on legal, medically supervised, or prescribed substance use.
- Ensuring that treatment for opioid use disorder — including methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone — is recognized as legitimate medical care, not as evidence of neglect.
- Keeping safeguards in place for true cases of abuse or endangerment, while preventing the automatic separation of loving, responsible families.
Recovery should be supported, not punished. Health care decisions made with medical supervision should never be grounds for losing custody.