SCHEA Legislative Alert

SCHEA Legislative Alert

* H3645 * raises the compulsory attendance age to 18 and ties the driver's license to school attendance. This bill, which has a fiscal impact of $100,000 for the DMV, would require school attendance as a condition for the issuance of a driver's license for anyone less than eighteen years of age.

It also requires that at the time of application for a license, documentation of enrollment status be presented to the DMV on a form approved by the Department.

But the real issue is this: "The board of trustees of the school district, the governing body of a private school, and _*an official of a home school association *_shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles when an enrolled student who is at least fifteen but less than eighteen years of age has accumulated seven or more total unexcused absences, been expelled, or dropped out of school within fourteen days of occurrence."

This is not only beyond the scope of the home school law, but it would also require parents to report to their associations any unexcused absences, a definite infringement on the rights of home school parents and an unnecessary burden on association directors.

This bill has now come out of committee and passed second vote on the floor of the House.

We strongly urge all home schoolers to call their representatives and ask them to--at the very least--drop home schoolers from this bill.

The bill is due for debate and/or vote on Tuesday, May 4.

If you do not know who your representative is, go to www.votesmart.org and type in your zip code. You can find all the contact information there for your representative and senator.