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Sponsor pitches 'Free Act' to create a new autonomous homeschooling option; bill rolled for technical fixes
Summary
Senator Bowling presented legislation to create a new, separate category of homeschooling that would require no state notification or testing. Supporters said the bill expands parental choice; state legal staff and committee members identified drafting errors and asked for a week to clean up language.
Senator Bowling presented the "Free Act," legislation that would add a distinct category of homeschooling law in Tennessee to allow families "complete educational autonomy" without state notification or required standardized testing.
The sponsor said the bill would not replace existing homeschool registration options but would create a separate pathway for families who do not want any government paperwork or oversight. Bowling told the committee that similar laws have passed in other states and that the Tennessee Home Education Association reviewed and supports the proposal.
Supporters who testified included homeschooling parents and representatives of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Samuel Johnson of HSLDA told the committee "parents do not co-parent with the state" and urged the committee to allow a pathway that requires no notification or testing. Mariah Ivy and Sandy Derrick, both homeschooling parents, described long-term homeschooling experience and said the legislation would recognize what they called parental autonomy.
Legal staff from the Office of Legal Services flagged a drafting error. A code cross-reference (section 55-50-5-12) was included in the bill text mistakenly; that section concerns juvenile driver's license withholding in delinquency cases and is unrelated to the sponsor's stated intent. Committee members and the sponsor agreed to roll the item for a week to correct the references and ensure the draft aligns with the sponsor’s intent.
Outcome: With no objection, the committee rolled the Free Act for one week so the sponsor and legislative staff can correct drafting issues. No formal vote on passage occurred.
Context: The bill drew supporters who argued longstanding legal and common-law traditions support parental control over education; critics have in other states argued that no-notice homeschooling statutes complicate oversight for child welfare and access to services. The committee’s action was procedural (roll for drafting fix) and did not change policy at this hearing.
