The Arizona House Committee on Government and Elections voted to override mask mandates that exist in some public schools.
The bill says schools can only require masks for students younger than 18 if their parents consent. That could simply mean a parent buys a mask and sends it with the child to school.
While proponents of the bill say parents should have the right to make medical decisions for their children, representative Sarah Liguori says that is not universal — like seat belts, for example.
"I don't want to argue that seat belts should be a parental choice when we have data that it saves people's lives," Liguori said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently issued guidance that teachers, students and visitors should wear masks indoors. Still some states such as New Jersey are removing their mask mandates as COVID-19 cases decline.
