Timeline of Homeschool Legislation

This timeline highlights a trend toward loosening oversight of homeschooling over the past two decades. While most major changes are included, this timeline is a work in progress and is more complete from 2011 to the present than it is before these years.

Bill #
Year
Impact
Description
Arizona SB 13481995Accountability RemovedThe legislature repealed the state’s assessment requirement.
Alaska SB 1341997Accountability RemovedThe legislature created a minimalistic homeschool statute which exempted homeschooling parents from all requirements, including notification, instruction, and assessments.
Arkansas HB 11571997Accountability RemovedThe legislature retained the state’s testing requirement but did away with minimum scores. Students’ test scores were no longer used to assess their individual progress and were instead aggregated and released in an annual state report on homeschooling.
New Mexico SB 3742001Accountability RemovedThe legislature repealed the state’s assessment requirement.
Connecticut HB 55352002Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required annual notice and created an assessment mechanism failed to pass.
Texas SB 5862003Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required homeschoolers to register with the state commissioner of education failed to pass.
Utah SB 592005Accountability RemovedThe legislature did away with the homeschool statute’s provision allowing school districts to ask homeschooling parents for records of instruction or evidence of academic progress. http://le.utah.gov/~2005/bills/static/SB0059.html
Nevada SB 4042007Accountability RemovedThe legislature eliminated the requirement that homeschool parents provide “equivalent instruction to public schools.”http://www.leg.state.nv.us/74th/Reports/history.cfm?billname=SB404
Nebraska LB 11412008Accountability ProposedA bill which would have created an annual assessment requirement for homeschooled students failed to pass.http://www.hslda.org/Legislation/State/ne/2008/NELB1141/default.asp
Connecticut SB 1622008Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required parents to file a notice of intent when beginning to homeschool failed to pass.http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB00162&which_year=2008
D.C. State Board of Education2008Accountability CreatedThe D.C. State Board of Education created a new chapter in their regulatory code, Chapter 52, to govern homeschooling.
Idaho SB 10172009Accountability RemovedThe legislature removed the requirement that homeschooled children be educated “comparably” to public school children.http://www.hslda.org/Legislation/State/id/2009/IDSB1017/default.asp
Arkansas HB 22442009Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required parents withdrawing their children from school to obtain permission from a committee, and parents filing their annual notice of intent to include proof that their children were tested, failed to pass.http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Bills/HB2144.pdf
New Jersey SB 31052011Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required annual medical exams for homeschooled students, created annual notification and assessment requirements, and prohibited students under supervision of the DYFS from being homeschooled failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/NJ/bill/S3105/2010
Illinois SB 1362011Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required private school students and homeschooled students to register annually with the State Board of Education failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/IL/drafts/SB0136/2011
Tennesse HB 1631 & SB 14682011Accountability RemovedThe legislature loosened requirements for homeschooling high school students, no longer requiring parents homeschooling through a church-related school to register their children or have them tested, and no longer requiring those homeschooling through the local school district to have a bachelor’s degree when homeschooling a high school aged student.http://legiscan.com/TN/bill/HB1631/2011http://legiscan.com/TN/bill/SB1468/2011
Texas SB 207 & HB 1962011Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required parents withdrawing children from a public school to homeschool them to provide the school with a signed document stating intent to homeschool failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB207/2011http://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB196/2011
Oklahoma SB 3942011Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required homeschooling parents to provide annual notice of homeschooling and submit an annual report of each child’s progress failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/OK/bill/SB394/2012
New Jersey AB 28812012Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required the approval of DYFS before children under DYFS “care, custody or supervision” could be homeschooled failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/NJ/bill/A2881/2012
New Jersey AB 13752012Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required homeschool parents to provide annual notice of homeschooling to the local school district failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/NJ/bill/A1375/201
Kansas State Board of Education2012Accountability ProposedThe Kansas State Board of Education considered proposing legislation to create additional requirements for homeschoolers, but backed off under pressure from the homeschool lobby.
New Hampshire HB 15172012Accountability RemovedThe legislature removed the requirement that parents submit annual end of the year assessments to an educational agency.http://legiscan.com/NH/bill/HB1571/2012
North Dakota SB 23292012Accountability RemovedThe legislature created an exemption from testing for homeschooled children whose parents with bachelor's degrees who have philosophical, moral, or religious objections to testing.http://legiscan.com/ND/bill/2329/2013
South Carolina HB 34782013Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required homeschooling parents to register either with the local school district or with the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools and would have required all students to be tested annually failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/SC/bill/H3478/2013
Pennsylvania SB 322013Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required social services monitoring for those who begin homeschooling after recent child abuse or neglect reports failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/PA/bill/SB32/2013
Iowa HF 2152013Accountability RemovedThe legislature passed an education reform bill that repealed the state’s notification and assessment requirements for homeschoolers.http://legiscan.com/IA/bill/HF215/2013
Ohio SB 2482013Accountability ProposedA bill which would have created background checks and required parents and children to have interviews with social services before homeschooling failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/OH/bill/SB248/2013
Virginia HJR 922014Accountability ProposedA bill which would have called for evaluating the state’s religious exemption from compulsory education provision failed to pass.http://legiscan.com/VA/bill/HJR92/2014
Utah SB 39012014Accountability RemovedThe legislature removed the requirement that homeschooling parents provide instruction.http://legiscan.com/UT/bill/SB0039S01/2014
Pennsylvania HB 10132014Accountability RemovedThe legislature removed the superintendent’s review of students’ portfolios and evaluations.http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2013&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1013https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-on-pennsylvanias-passage-of-hb-1013/
Arkansas HB 13812015Accountability RemovedThe legislature removed the state’s testing requirement. Previously, homeschool testing data was collected and released in annual reports.https://legiscan.com/AR/bill/HB1381/2015https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-opposing-arkansas-house-bill-1381/
West Virginia HB 2793, SB 4442015Accountability ThreatenedA bill which would have removed the requirement that parents submit their children’s annual academic assessments to the county superintendent passed the legislature but was vetoed by the governor.https://legiscan.com/WV/bill/HB2793/2015https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-opposing-west-virginias-hb-2793-and-sb-444/
Iowa HF 2142015Accountability ProposedA bill which would have restored Iowa’s notification and assessment requirements failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/IA/bill/HF214/2015
Michigan HB 44982015Accountabilty ProposedA bill which would require homeschooling parents to provide notice of homeschooling and to document two contacts with mandatory reporters annually failed to pass.https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-supporting-stoni-blair-and-stephen-berry-and-michigans-hb-4498/http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2015-HB-4498
California AB 27562018Accountability ProposedA bill which would have made it possible for the California Department of Education to maintain a list of homeschooled students, and required fire inspections of homeschool families' homes, failed ot pass. https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/california-assembly-bill-2756-opens-conversation-on-homeschooling/
California AB 29262018Accountability ProposedA bill which would have created an advisory committee to evaluate oversight of homeschooling and make recommendations failed to pass.https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/california-assembly-bills-2756-and-2926-will-improve-protections-for-homeschooled-children-in-ca/
Hawaii SB 23232018Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required background checks for homeschooling parents failed to pass.https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/hawaii-sb-2323-is-a-positive-step-toward-protecting-homeschooled-children/
North Dakota HB 14282017Accountability RemovedThe legislature exempted all parents with bachelor's degrees and all parents who object to testing for philosphical, moral, and religious reasons from the homeschool statute's testing requirement.https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/gov-burgum-dont-remove-homeschool-accountability/
New Hampshire HB 12632018Accountability ProposedA bill which would have restored a previous requirement that homeschooling parents submit their children's annual end-of-the-year assessment results to an educational agency failed to pass.https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/new-hampshire-lawmakers-have-the-opportunity-to-support-homeschooled-students/
West Virginia HB 41752016Accountability RemovedThe legislature reduced the number of years during which parents are required to submit their children's assessments from annual to grades three, five, eight, and eleven; removed language preventing parents from administering their children's tests themselves; removed the requirement that parents have a GED; and made notice one-time rather than annual.https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-opposing-west-virginias-house-bill-4175/https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-west-virginia-and-south-dakota-measures-make-homeschooled-children-more-vulnerable/
South Dakota HB 10132016Accountability RemovedThe legislature removed the requirement that students be assessed in grade two, leaving the assessments in grades four, eight, and eleven. https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-opposing-south-dakotas-house-bill-1013/https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-west-virginia-and-south-dakota-measures-make-homeschooled-children-more-vulnerable/
Iowa SF 1382017Accountability ProposedA bill which would have required parents to provide notice of homeschooling and required school districts to conduct safety visits for homeschoolers every quarter failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/IA/bill/SF138/2017https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/crhes-rachel-coleman-testifies-in-iowa/
New York AB 9091, SB 47882016Accountability ThreatenedA bill that would have removed New York's quarterly report requirement, lowered the state's testing thresshold, and allowed parents to administer their children's tests themselves failed to pass. https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-opposing-new-york-assembly-bill-9091-and-senate-bill-4788/
Florida HB 731 & SB 7322018Accountability RemovedThe legislature barred school districts from requesting additional information from homeschooling parents and limited the district's ability to review homeschooled students' annual assessments. https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/florida-lawmakers-should-support-homeschooled-children-not-leave-them-adrift/
Kentucky SB 1812017Accountability ProposedA bill that would have prevented parents with past founded child abuse or neglect reports from homeschooling failed to pass. https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/kentucky-senate-bill-181-would-create-protections-for-at-risk-homeschooled-children/
Maryland HB 17982018Accountability ProposedA bill that would have required twice-annual home visits in an attempt to identify homes where children are subject to abuse or neglect failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/MD/bill/HB1798/2018
Kentucky HB 5742018Accountability ProposedA bill that would have required parents to submit an annual portfolio of their children's work for review failed to pass. https://legiscan.com/KY/bill/HB574/2018
Louisiana HB 7642016Accountability ProposedA bill that would have required the Louisiana Department of Education to review and approve homeschool applications was filed but withdrawn before it was introduced. http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=16RS&b=HB764&sbi=y
Louisiana HB 4442016Accountability ProposedA bill that would have prevented registered sex offenders from residing in a residence where homeschooling is taking place failed to pass. https://legiscan.com/LA/bill/HB444/2016
Iowa HF 272 and HF 1002019Accountability proposedBills creating quarterly home visits (one for all homeschooled students and one only for those using the laxer law) failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/IA/text/HF272/id/1893484https://legiscan.com/IA/bill/HF100/2019
Illinois HB 35602019Accountability proposedA bill that would have required all new homeschooling families to undergoe child protective services investigations failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/IL/bill/HB3560/2019
Tennessee HB 9172019Accountability proposedA bill that would have prevented families under investigation by child services from switching to homeschooling w/o permission failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/TN/bill/HB0917/2019
Louisiana HB 52019Accountability proposedA bill that would have prevented homeschooling when a registered offender lives in the household failed to pass.https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/alumni-group-to-la-sex-offenders-should-not-homeschool/
Georgia HB 5302019Accountability passedA bill requiring school districts to report new homeschoolers that fial to file state paperwork to child protective services passed.https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB530/2019
South Dakota HB 10652019Accountability threatenedA bill that would have removed the state's assessment requirement failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/SD/bill/HB1065/2019
Montana HB 3032019Accountability threatenedA bill that would have removed the state's notice of intent and instruction requirements for homeschoolers failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/SD/bill/HB1065/2019
New York AB 17692019Accountability threatenedA bill that would have loosened various requirements for homeschooling failed to pass.https://legiscan.com/NY/bill/A01769/2019
Iowa HF 182 and SF 2242019Accountability threatened
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