Mere weeks into the new legislative season, HSLDA’s legal team is already rallying members and allies for action on measures that affect homeschool freedom.

In Virginia, we halted a bill that—in its original form—sought to repeal the nation’s most robust religious exemption from compulsory school attendance. In Wyoming, we’re cheering the progress of a measure that would allow families to homeschool free of red tape. And in Indiana, we’re championing a bill that aims to ensure equal treatment for homeschool graduates.

Monitoring bills, informing members, and organizing constituents to engage legislators is a core component of HSLDA’s mission. This legislative season we’ve reviewed 2,037 bills in 37 states; we have posted on our website 128 bills that merit monitoring in 23 states.  And our efforts this year are fairly typical in that we’re advocating for and against a mix of good and bad legislation in many states.

One big difference, however, is that the attack on Virginia’s religious exemption could represent the first effort in a campaign to roll back homeschool freedom across the country.

Clash of Ideals

Virginia Senate Bill 1031 is the first anti-homeschool measure we’ve confronted since the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE) released its model bill in 2024. CRHE’s “Make Homeschool Safe Act” is based on a worldview that mistrusts parents and asserts that more laws and government oversight are required to keep children safe.

The sponsor of S.B. 1031, Senator Stella Pekarsky, echoed this outlook while explaining her rationale for the bill. Pekarsky said the measure is needed to make certain that homeschooled students attain “academic competence.”

In other words, parents who homeschool without officials monitoring them simply can’t be trusted to educate their children.

HSLDA Director of Legal and Legislative Advocacy Scott Woodruff countered this argument with several key points. In messages to our members urging them to contact legislators in opposition to the bill, he pointed to research showing that students homeschooling under Virginia’s religious exemption have indeed demonstrated academic proficiency.

He also asserted that S.B 1031 isn’t really concerned with academics—it’s about whether elected officials will stand up for one of our nation’s most cherished liberties.

“It’s about the right of parents to educate their children in obedience to their conscience as guided by their faith,” Woodruff declared.

In response to a flood of phone calls and emails from homeschooling parents opposed to the bill, lawmakers introduced a substitute measure on January 28. The latest version of S.B. 1031 now calls for a work group to study the religious exemption and homeschool law to determine if they “could be amended to better ensure that all children in the commonwealth receive an adequate education.”

However, the makeup of the group as described in the substitute bill—which specifically calls for participation by a CRHE representative—indicates what the group is likely to conclude.

As Woodruff warned: “It would issue a political statement that fully aligns with Sen. Pekarsky’s goal of abolishing the religious exemption.”

HSLDA are working closely with Home Educators Association of Virginia in opposition to S.B. 1031. We’re also pleased to report that Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office has announced support for the religious exemption in its current form.

On January 30, the Senate Finance Committee voted to pass by the bill indefinitely, which makes it unlikely S.B. 1031 will advance any further this legislative season.

More Freedom? Yes, Please!

Meanwhile, we’re excited by the progress of Wyoming House Bill 46, the Homeschool Freedom Act.

The bill would make Wyoming the 12th state to eliminate filings for homeschooling families. Current homeschool law in the Cowboy State requires parents to submit a letter of intent and an annual description of curriculum.

“Every year we have districts that hassle homeschooling families and ask for specific forms or additional information that the law doesn’t require,” explained HSLDA Senior Counsel Will Estrada. “This bill would not only free parents from unnecessary bureaucracy, it would help public school officials by allowing them to focus their attention on their own students.”

HSLDA and Homeschool Wyoming worked closely with lawmakers to help draft the legislation. The measure was approved by the House of Representatives and has passed to the Senate for consideration.

“We plan to continue vigorously promoting the bill and will do everything we can to get it to the governor’s desk,” Estrada said. “When this is enacted, it will be one of the biggest victories for homeschool freedom in decades.”

Leveling the Playing Field

We’re also closely watching Indiana House Bill 1348, which would require employers and institutions of higher learning to recognize the validity of homeschool diplomas.

HSLDA Senior Counsel Darren Jones said the legislation would help homeschool graduates as they pursue careers and additional education after high school. “In Indiana, homeschool graduates have been denied access to jobs at some state and local agencies, such as police departments,” he explained.

H.B. 1348 would help resolve this problem by affirming that homeschooling parents are indeed entitled to issue certain documents on behalf of their children, such as transcripts and diplomas.

One especially encouraging aspect of H.B. 1348 is that two of its sponsors are products of the homeschooling movement. It’s reasonable to expect that, as homeschooling cultivates even more informed and engaged citizens, these successes will lead to greater freedom.

As Woodruff pointed out in messages to our Virginia members, the recent trend in legislatures has been to reduce homeschool regulations by, for example, eliminating certain filing requirements.

“We can’t let a handful of lawmakers turn the clock back on our hard-earned liberties,” he said. “Homeschool families must remain vigilant.”