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HR
2732 / S 1562 aka Homeschool Non-Discrimination Act of 2003 (HoNDA)
December
2003
Thank you to all who took the time to write their representatives
in Washington about this bill, which is sitting in six subcommittees
and has very little chance of being passed in its current form.
However, given that the bill has 80 cosponsors, it is likely or
better than likely that some of its seven provisions will be inserted
into other bills which have an excellent chance of passing into
law. Carving up the bill may or may not eliminate the concern
of having the phrase "home school" appear in federal
legislation, as the individual sections pulled from the bill may
or may not include that terminology. It does not void the larger
concern of national homeschooling organizations who do not represent
the vast majority of homeschoolers pushing for legislation which
will affect all of us. AHEM's philosophy is to strengthen the
grassroots presence of homeschoolers, as our voices are strongest
at the local and state level. AHEM is doing its best to track
HR2732/SB 1562 developments, and we will notify you as we learn
of them.
Background
Info on HR 2732 / SB 1562
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), a national
organization that provides legal services to homeschoolers for
a fee, is behind a bill filed with the US House of Representatives
and the Senate. House Resolution 2732 and Senate 1562 seek to
amend portions of existing laws including the Higher Education
Act of 1965, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the General Education Provisions
Act. Advocates of the bill claim that it will allow, among other
things, opportunities for government aid, tax deductions for homeschooling
expenses, and the freedom for older homeschoolers to work during
school hours.
AHEM
has heard many reasons to oppose the bill. National lists abound
with arguments for why the changes to each specific law are cause
for concern. Overall it would seem that the various concerns that
the bill seeks to amend could have been handled without treating
them as unique homeschooling issues.
AHEM's
position is that it is wise to keep homeschooling out of federal
law as much as possible to avoid further regulation and to keep
the local, grassroots strength of homeschooling alive.
Another
major concern is whether homeschoolers wish to let a national
organization such as HSLDA speak for them. If Representatives
and Senators do not hear from individual homeschoolers about this
bill, they may interpret HSLDA's voice to be the national voice
for homeschoolers. Therefore, we recommend that individuals research
the bill and respond to their representatives as individual constituents.
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The
information on this website does not constitute legal advice;
it is provided for informational purposes only.
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