Last updated 4/10/2009
Legislative hotline number is 1-800-562-6000.
The following is proposed legislation that may effect home education:
Senate Homeschool Resolution 8606
Sponsor: Senator Stevens
Status: The Resolution was introduced from the Senate Floor for the annual Home Educators’ Day at the Capitol event on April 9, 2009 SR 8606 was adopted unanimously!
SR8606 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=8606&year=2009
Click here to listen to presentation from the Senate Floor :
http://tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2009040079A&TYPE=V&CFID=3444012&CFTOKEN=80565145&bhcp=1
Bills that may have an impact on home-educators:
HB1110 An act relating to prohibiting advertising and marketing to students receiving home-based instruction. This bill prohibits school districts from advertising, marketing or soliciting their government school at-home programs to parents who have submitted a declaration- of -intent to homeschool.
School districts will no longer be allowed to use information from the DOI form to advertise their government school-at-home programs. The purpose of the DOI form is to show compliance with the compulsory education law and was not meant to be used by local school districts nor is there any compelling reason for them to do so.
School districts will be allowed to respond to requests from home educators and can include homeschoolers in mailings sent to all households in the districts.
Sponsors; Rep. Sullivan, Liias, Upthegrove, Orwell, Simpson
HB1110 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1110.pdf
Revised 1st sub. HB1110
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1110-S.pdf
CHN has introduced and is working this bill in cooperation with Christian Heritage Home Educators, Home School Legal Defense Association and Washington Homeschool Organization
CHN and supporters testified at the 1/27/09 hearing in the Education Committee.
HB1110 PASSED the House unanimously! Bill will now go to the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K12 Education. Hearing scheduled for 3/23 at 1:30. This bill has much support, and CHN has been told this bill will pass out of committee. CHN has been asked by the chair to keep the testimony brief, so it is not necessary for others to come and testify. CHN attended the hearing to represent the bill and keep it moving through the process. 3/23 Bill passed the committee unanimously!
Status: 4/9/09 Bill passed both Houses, now goes to the Governor. This Bill passed unanimously.
Position: Support
Action: Thank your legislators for supporting this bill.
NOTE: HB1110 does not touch the homeschool law. CHN will oppose any bill that amends the homeschool laws and would hope that all homeschoolers would join us.
SB5661/HB1288 An act exempting the annual parental declaration of intent to home school from the public disclosure act. This bill would close a perceived loop hole in federal law and clarify in state law that the declaration-of-intent (DOI) form is exempt from public disclosure. In the past some school districts have misinterpreted federal and state law and have given out information from the DOI form to third parties. This law makes it clear they cannot do that.
CHN has introduced and is working this bill in cooperation with Christian Heritage Home Educators, Home School Legal Defense Association and Washington Homeschool Organization.
Sponsors; Representative Upthegrove, McCune, Simpson, Herrera, Newhouse, Armstrong, Orwell, Roach, Quall, Simpson, Pettigrew, Bailey, Shea, Smith, Orcutt, Sullivan, Eddy, Johnson, Nelson, Ormsby, Kretz, Kristiansen.
Sponsors; Senator Pridemore, Roach, King, Zarelli, Swecker, Hargrove, Fairley, Stevens, Kastama, Oemig, Shin, McAuliffe, Benton
HB1288 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1288.pdf
SB5661 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5661.pdf
History:
CHN and supporters testified at the 1/30/09 hearing in the Committee for State Government & Tribal Affairs for HB1288. CHN and supporters testified at the 2/12/09 hearing in the Committee for Early Learning and K12 Education for SB5661.
Bill Passed the Senate and House on 3/3/09!
SB 5661 goes to House Committee on Government and Tribal Affairs. Hearing scheduled for 3/20, executive session to follow. CHN testified at the hearing to represent homeschoolers and thank the committee for their support on this bill. Following the hearing the bill was passed out of committee unanimously. Rep. Hunt and Rep. Armstrong have worked together to move this bill quickly through the process. Please send them a note of appreciation.
HB1288 goes to the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K12 Education. Hearing scheduled for 3/23. CHN testified at the hearing. Note: Due to much support for this bill, CHN was asked by the chair to keep the testimony brief, and that it is not necessary for others to come and testify. The chair decided after the hearing to immediately include HB1288 and HB1110 in the following executive session, both bills passed out of committee unanimously! Please thank Senator McAuliffe for her support and helping these bills move through the process.
Status: 4/9/09 HB1288 passed Senate unanimously. HB1288 has passed both Houses, and ready to go on to the Governor to officially become law!
Position: Support
Action: Thank your legislators for their support of this legislation.
NOTE:
SB5661/HB1288 does not touch the homeschool law. CHN will oppose any bill that amends the homeschool law and would hope that all homeschoolers would join us.
Bills that would threaten parental rights:
HB1607/SB5477 and HB2056/SB5643 and HB2091 An act allowing for grandparents to petition courts to allow for visitations.
This bill would allow a grandparent to petition the court for visitation of children in an intact family with fit parents. This bill is clearly unconstitutional and is a violation of parental rights. At the last hearing several groups testified in favor of this bill and wanted to broaden visitation rights to even include non-family members! This bill is a slippery slope to eroding parental rights.
This bill threatens parental rights, which is the very foundation of our homeschool rights and freedoms. Read HSLDA’s e-alert for more on this bill and this issue.
HB 1607 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1607.pdf
Sponsors: Rep. Chase, Haler, Kagi, Dunshee, Haigh, Green, Kessler, Roberts, Kenney, Rolfes, Morrell and Ormsby
SB5477 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5477&year=2009
Sponsors: Senators Shin, Carrell, Marr, Delvin, Sheldon, Fairley, Pridemore, Kastama, Jarrett.
HB2056 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2056.pdf
Sponsors: Rep. Chase, Condotta
SB5643 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5643.pdf
Sponsors: Senators Franklin, Carrell, Marr
HB2091 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2091.pdf
Sponsors: Short, Warnick
Status: All of these bills are dead due to not meeting deadlines.
Position: Opposed
Action: None needed at this time.
Other bills of interest:
SB 5410 An act relating to online learning.
While this bill is not directly related to homeschooling, it is related to laws which allow homeschoolers to access online programs on a part-time basis. CHN contacted HSLDA in regards to this bill to discuss any potential threat or unintended consequences this potential legislation may or may not have. Due to the real threat of these programs being confused with independent home education CHN continued to monitor and watch this bill.
CHN met with the prime sponsor of the bill, Senator Oemig to discuss his bill and also make sure he understood the difference between independent home education and public school-at-home programs.
CHN also attended both of the hearing in the Senate and the House. CHN also met with a lobbyist and director of one of the on-line programs that had several families testifying at the hearing. We requested that they be clear about being public school students not homeschool students. So there would not be any confusion between these programs and with independent home education. As a result most of the families were clear about being public school student however some were not.
SB5410 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5410&year=2009
Status: Bill is in Rules.
Position: Neutral
Action: None needed.
SB 5371 Allowing for parent taught drivers education. This bill would allow for parents/guardians to teach an approved commercial drivers education course at home versus enrolling youth in a commercial driving school. Under current law it is mandatory for a youth under the age of 18 years of age to have completed a traffic safety course from a commercial driving school.
Last session this bill died due to many legislators thinking that this bill would only allow home educators to teach drivers education. CHN meet with key legislators to correct this misinformation. This bill would allow ANY parent to teach drivers educations.
Sponsors: Senators Swecker, Benton, Delvin, Sheldon, Pflug, Kastama, Honeyford, Zarelli, Shin, Becker.
SB 5371 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5371&year=2009
Status: This bill is dead due to not making deadlines.
Position: Support
Action: None needed at this time.
SB5688 Making domestic partnerships equal to marriage.
Sec.23 (3) “Married” means one who is legally married to or in a state of registered domestic partnership with another. (the underlined language is suggested language to amend existing law)
SB5688 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5688&year=2009
Christian Organizations Coordinating Opposition to these Bills:
Family Policy Institute: www.FPIW.org
"Domestic Partnerships Benefits" Legislative Hearing Information & Talking Points
Washington Values Alliance:
"Domestic Partnerships Benefits Legislative Hearing Information" ~ Reasons to Oppose