We support tax credits for homeschool families — but this bill isn’t ready. This bill wants to introduce requirements to submit receipts which invades family privacy, puts unqualified county staff in charge of defining “legitimate” homeschool expenses, and creates new opportunities for fraud and unnecessary bureaucracy.
We appreciate the sponsor’s intent and have requested amendments. But until this bill is properly fixed, we cannot support it.
A3429 would block parents from withdrawing their children to homeschool based on nothing more than an allegation during a child welfare investigation — before any finding, before due process! This bill could be easily be weaponized as a way to stop families who want to leave Government School! Tell New York politicians: Reject A3429 and defend parental rights.
Homeschooling families in Minnesota are under threat as lawmakers push bills that would expand government control and restrict parental freedom. These proposals risk burying families in red tape, weakening parents’ authority, and turning home education into a regulated privilege instead of a protected right. Homeschooling works because families—not politicians—know what’s best for their children. If these bills pass, they could permanently damage educational freedom in Minnesota. This is a line that cannot be crossed, and homeschooling must be protected now.
Senate Bill 741 and Assembly Bill 1341 are identical. These bills would require every homeschool child and parent to meet annually with a school official for a “general health and wellness check.”
S741 and A1341 are nearly identical to two bills that were introduced last year (S4589 and A5796). Last year’s bills were withdrawn during the previous legislature’s lame duck session after substantial public response.
–> Creates government oversight where none is justified. The bill assumes homeschool families require monitoring despite no evidence of widespread harm, shifting New Jersey away from its long-standing tradition of educational freedom and trust in families.
–> Creates inequitable treatment. Homeschool students would face requirements that private school students do not, even though both are legally educated outside the public system.
–> Vague language invites inconsistent local enforcement. The bill does not clearly define what a “general health and wellness check” entails, what questions may be asked, or what standards apply. That ambiguity leaves wide discretion to individual districts, creating the risk of uneven expectations, subjective judgments, and unpredictable requirements depending on where a family lives.
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