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Arizona SB 1348	1995	Accountability Removed	The legislature repealed the state’s assessment requirement.
Alaska SB 134	1997	Accountability Removed	The legislature created a minimalistic homeschool statute which exempted homeschooling parents from all requirements, including notification, instruction, and assessments.
Arkansas HB 1157	1997	Accountability Removed	The 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New Mexico SB 374	2001	Accountability Removed	The legislature repealed the state’s assessment requirement.
Connecticut HB 5535	2002	Accountability Proposed	A bill which would have required annual notice and created an assessment mechanism failed to pass.
Texas SB 586	2003	Accountability Proposed	A bill which would have required homeschoolers to register with the state commissioner of education failed to pass.
Utah SB 59	2005	Accountability Removed	The 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 404	2007	Accountability Removed	The 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 1141	2008	Accountability Proposed	A 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 162	2008	Accountability Proposed	A 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 Education	2008	Accountability Created	The D.C. State Board of Education created a new chapter in their regulatory code, Chapter 52, to govern homeschooling.
Idaho SB 1017	2009	Accountability Removed	The 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 2244	2009	Accountability Proposed	A 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 3105	2011	Accountability Proposed	A 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 136	2011	Accountability Proposed	A 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 1468	2011	Accountability Removed	The 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/HB1631/2011	http://legiscan.com/TN/bill/SB1468/2011
Texas SB 207 & HB 196	2011	Accountability Proposed	A 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/SB207/2011	http://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB196/2011
Oklahoma SB 394	2011	Accountability Proposed	A 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 2881	2012	Accountability Proposed	A 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 1375	2012	Accountability Proposed	A 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 Education	2012	Accountability Proposed	The 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 1517	2012	Accountability Removed	The 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 2329	2012	Accountability Removed	The 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 3478	2013	Accountability Proposed	A 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 32	2013	Accountability Proposed	A 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 215	2013	Accountability Removed	The 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 248	2013	Accountability Proposed	A 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 92	2014	Accountability Proposed	A 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 3901	2014	Accountability Removed	The legislature removed the requirement that homeschooling parents provide instruction.	http://legiscan.com/UT/bill/SB0039S01/2014
Pennsylvania HB 1013	2014	Accountability Removed	The 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=1013	https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-on-pennsylvanias-passage-of-hb-1013/
Arkansas HB 1381	2015	Accountability Removed	The legislature removed the state’s testing requirement. Previously, homeschool testing data was collected and released in annual reports.	https://legiscan.com/AR/bill/HB1381/2015	https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-opposing-arkansas-house-bill-1381/
West Virginia HB 2793, SB 444	2015	Accountability Threatened	A 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/HB2793/2015	https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/statement-opposing-west-virginias-hb-2793-and-sb-444/
Iowa HF 214	2015	Accountability Proposed	A bill which would have restored Iowa’s notification and assessment requirements failed to pass.	https://legiscan.com/IA/bill/HF214/2015
Michigan HB 4498	2015	Accountabilty Proposed	A 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 2756	2018	Accountability Proposed	A 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 2926	2018	Accountability Proposed	A 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 2323	2018	Accountability Proposed	A 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 1428	2017	Accountability Removed	The 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 1263	2018	Accountability Proposed	A 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 4175	2016	Accountability Removed	The 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 1013	2016	Accountability Removed	The 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 138	2017	Accountability Proposed	A 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/SF138/2017	https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/crhes-rachel-coleman-testifies-in-iowa/
New York AB 9091, SB 4788	2016	Accountability Threatened	A 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 732	2018	Accountability Removed	The 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 181	2017	Accountability Proposed	A 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 1798	2018	Accountability Proposed	A 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 574	2018	Accountability Proposed	A 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 764	2016	Accountability Proposed	A 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 444	2016	Accountability Proposed	A 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 100	2019	Accountability proposed	Bills 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/1893484	https://legiscan.com/IA/bill/HF100/2019
Illinois HB 3560	2019	Accountability proposed	A 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 917	2019	Accountability proposed	A 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 5	2019	Accountability proposed	A 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 530	2019	Accountability passed	A 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 1065	2019	Accountability threatened	A bill that would have removed the state's assessment requirement failed to pass.	https://legiscan.com/SD/bill/HB1065/2019
Montana HB 303	2019	Accountability threatened	A 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 1769	2019	Accountability threatened	A bill that would have loosened various requirements for homeschooling failed to pass.	https://legiscan.com/NY/bill/A01769/2019
Iowa HF 182 and SF 224	2019	Accountability threatened

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