The 106th General Assmebly began in January 2009 and ends when the final gavel pounds down probably in May  2010.  Bills have been introduced directly affecting home education.  Those bills deal with the high school diplomas most home schooler graduates receive and with participation in sports and extra curricula activities at your local public school. 

Each of the bills by their bill numbers are listed on the side panel so you can more easily track them. 

The most effective means of engagement occurs when you contact your state representative or your state senator.  Using your street address and city you can go here (see lower right) and get the contact information for your two elected officials. 

Home schoolers are extremely active in the legislative arena. As a general rule we know how to track legislative action and to be engaged in the process in a timely manner so that legislators are quite aware when there is a bill that strongly affects home educating families.

The most effective contact that you or I can have in the legislature occurs when you call your state representative or your state senator. A "constituent call" receives the highest priority in legislative circles.

If you have a choice between getting 1,000 home schoolers from across the state to call a legislator or to have one constituent call their legislator, you will have about the same impact. A legislator who hears from 4 to 6 constituents knows that this is a huge issue that definitely requires her or his attention.

When the calls are coordinated with impending votes, urgency and immediacy merge into action.

Are you open to being pursuaded by another home schooling family on a matter before the legislature and should you be persuaded, are you willing to contact your legislator on a matter coming for a vote?

To that end THEA has established a communication link by its member families to promote home education that you can enter below.

Each subscriber will receive the THEA Observer prepared by Matthew Bullington, THEA Reporter, as a service provided by THEA's member families to promote home schooling.

LISTING OF BILLS

You may review the status of bills by going to http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/ and searching for the keyword "home school".

Each bill below has a House and a Senate sponsor allowing each companion bill to go through the respective legislative chambers on their way to becoming law. The process is purposfully difficult to allow for a thorough review of what is being considered to become the law of the State of Tennessee.

Before a bill becomes law the version from the Senate and the House must be identical in its wording. It's sort of like playing the game of gossip, except everything you officially say is recorded, it occurs in front of observers, and every vote a legislator makes probably makes some people happy and some people sad.

HB0072

by Weaver Schools, Home - As introduced, authorizes home-schooled students to participate in athletics in public schools if they comply with certain conditions.

Apparently this bill was introduced and then later revised and refiled as HB0842 and SB0898 by Weaver and Beavers, respectively. It is easier to refile a bill before the filing deadline than to have committees in the Senate and House concur on changes. Both bills are active until action is taken on them, so the sponsors may elect to have either bill heard.

HB0429

by Bell Schools, Home - As introduced, authorizes home-schooled students to participate in athletics in public schools if they comply with certain conditions.

HB0431

by Bell Schools, Home - As introduced, requires that diplomas issued by home schools be recognized by all state and local governmental entities as having the same rights and privileges of diplomas issued by public school systems.

HB0432

by Bell Schools, Home - As introduced, clarifies that a diploma awarded to a graduate from a home school is acceptable for all purposes of licensure and certification by state and local governmental entities.

HB0797

by Campfield Education - As introduced, authorizes students who are home schooled to participate in public school sports under certain circumstances.

HB0842

by Weaver Schools, Home - As introduced, authorizes church-related and home-schooled students to participate in athletics in public schools if they comply with certain conditions.

HB1418

by Bell Schools, Home - As introduced, clarifies that a diploma from a home school or church-related school is equivalent to one from a public school, except for purposes related to lotttery proceeds.

SB0422

by Bunch Schools, Home - As introduced, authorizes home-schooled students to participate in athletics in public schools if they comply with certain conditions.

SB0433

by Bunch Schools, Home - As introduced, requires that diplomas issued by home schools be recognized by all state and local governmental entities as having the same rights and privileges of diplomas issued by public school systems.

SB0483

by Bunch Schools, Home - As introduced, clarifies that a diploma awarded to a graduate from a home school is acceptable for all purposes of licensure and certification by state and local governmental entities.

SB0843

by Beavers Schools, Home - As introduced, authorizes home-schooled students to participate in athletics in public schools if they comply with certain conditions.

SB0989

by Beavers Schools, Home - As introduced, authorizes church-related and home-schooled students to participate in athletics in public schools if they comply with certain conditions.

SB1262

by Bunch Education - As introduced, authorizes students who are home schooled to participate in public school sports under certain circumstances.

SB1913

by Bunch Schools, Home - As introduced, clarifies that a diploma from a home school or church-related school is equivalent to one from a public school, except for purposes related to lotttery proceeds.