Delegate Frank Turner from Howard County is the primary sponsor of this bill, along with Delegate Anne Kaiser (Montgomery) and Delegate Eric Ebersole (Baltimore and Howard Counties). Delegate Kaiser is the chairwoman of the House Ways and Means Committee and holds the power to schedule bills for hearing.

Nothing. The lead sponsor has publicly stated in writing that he will allow this bill to die in committee. No further action is needed.

The Prince George’s County Delegation, including Delegate Angela Angel who sponsored HB 996 (see below), introduced this bill. The bill only allows Prince George’s County schools the option of allowing homeschoolers to participate in afterschool activities, as long as space is available.

Nothing. This bill was filed in error.

Delegate Angela Angel from Prince George’s County is the sole sponsor of this bill. The bill would not guarantee homeschoolers the right to participate in any afterschool activities. The bill would only allow individual school districts the option of allowing homeschoolers to participate, as long as space is available.

Write to the House Ways and Means Committee members to express your opinion of this bill.

This bill indirectly effects homeschoolers by disallowing county homeschool liaisons from requiring high school homeschool families from having to provide “regular and thorough instruction” in biology labs that include dissections.

This bill is effectively dead for the 2018 session.

This bill currently states that homeschoolers have to be in compliance with “state and county requirements”. Maryland regulations explicitly prohibit counties from placing extra requirements on homeschool families.

Write to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee members to ask that they keep homeschool eligibility expressly listed in the bill but to change the language regarding “county requirements” and homeschoolers.

Section 16-703(B)(IV) of the bill outlines initial eligibility criteria as a student who has “graduated from a Maryland public secondary school or received a GED not more than 12 months before first receiving a grand under this program …” The current language unintentionally disqualifies all homeschool graduates from eligibility, unless they take and pass the GED.

Write to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee members to ask that they adjust the language regarding eligibility listed in Section 16-703(B)(IV) to include students who have completed a home instruction program.

This bill would only effect homeschoolers who choose to return to public high school and are attempting to transfer in credits completed as part of their homeschooling.

Write to the House Ways and Means Committee members to express your opinion of this bill.

This bill indirectly effects homeschoolers by creating a new option for meeting the foreign language graduation requirement that applies to homeschoolers as part of the “regular, thorough instruction in the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age”. Families should keep in mind, however, that choosing to a substitute computer programming language for traditional foreign language classes may not fulfill college entrance requirements.

Write to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee members to express your opinion of this bill.

In its current form, this bill would create a voluntary certification program for anyone wishing to work as a special education advocate. Del. Ebersole, the lead sponsor of the bill, was asked to sponsor this bill by a Baltimore-area law firm who believes parent-consumers need to be protected against unscrupulous advocates who “run up bills” unnecessarily. This bill, however, creates a conflict of interest between MSDE and the advocates who may be filing a complaint with or against them.

Write to the House Ways and Means Committee members to express your opinion of this bill.

This bill creates a new level of accountability for public schools.

Write to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee members and the House Ways and Means Committee members to express your opinion of this bill.

This bill would has no effect on homeschoolers, but is shared for informational purposes.

Write to the House Ways and Means Committee members to express your opinion of this bill.