A bill that creates a fourth option for homeschooling families in Tennessee will be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025.
Senate Bill 0494 (SB0494) aka the “Family Right to Educational Emancipation Act” or “FREE Act” is being sponsored by Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16) after being written by Tennessee based homeschool advocacy group Free YOUR Children.
The proposed legislation, which has the support of Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) at the national level and Tennessee Home Education Association (THEA) at the state level, does not repeal any current laws or regulations regarding home education, but instead creates a new independent category that is subject to data collection, reporting, or assessment requirements which apply to existing independent home school programs.
The bill also exempts students and parents from compulsory school attendance requirements and prohibits the Department of Safety from “conditioning the issuance of a driver license or learner’s permit on a school-aged applicant’s attendance record or enrollment status.”
