Missouri Senate gives first-round approval to bill allowing some homeschooled students to join school extracurriculars

The Missouri Senate gave first-round approval to Senate Bill 63, sponsored by Senator Van Brown of Washington, which would allow certain students in nontraditional educational settings to participate in extracurricular activities at local public or charter schools.

The bill, which seeks to repeal and establish provisions relating to participation by certain students in nontraditional educational settings, included an amendment offered by Senator Maggie Norenburn of Kansas City that would allow a school district to adopt a policy requiring a specific course if that course is needed for eligibility in an activity. Senate Bill 63 received first-round approval in the Senate; another favorable vote would send the measure to the Missouri House of Representatives for consideration.

The transcript notes that children enrolled in nontraditional settings are currently not permitted to participate in school sports or extracurricular activities, while their parents remain liable for taxes that help fund those programs. The bill’s text was described in general terms during floor discussion as seeking to repeal and establish provisions governing such participation; specific statutory citations were not provided in the floor summary.

The record shows the amendment on coursework was adopted during floor debate and the bill advanced on its first Senate approval. The transcript did not record a roll-call vote tally or the names of a mover and seconder for the first-round approval, nor did it provide the full amendment language or the bill’s citation beyond “Senate Bill 63.”

If the Missouri House approves the measure as written, the change would depend on future enactment steps the Legislature follows. Reporting from the state capital, Dean Morgan.