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TennesseeHB0552directFailed

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 55, relative to the Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act.

  1. Introduced
  2. Failed

Overview

This bill creates a new category of independent home schools in Tennessee that would be exempt from data collection, reporting, and assessment requirements, and would exempt those students and parents from compulsory school attendance laws.

Why it matters: This legislation directly changes the legal obligations for homeschooling families in Tennessee by potentially reducing regulatory requirements and eliminating compulsory attendance enforcement for participants in the new FREE Act program.

Topic: compulsory_attendance · classifier confidence 95%

What this changes

Amends existing law

Law today: Tennessee currently requires independent home school programs to comply with data collection, reporting, and assessment requirements, and enforces compulsory school attendance laws. The state also conditions driver license and learner's permit issuance on school-aged applicants' attendance record or enrollment status.

If passed: HB0552 would create a new category of 'FREE Act' independent home schools exempt from data collection, reporting, and assessment requirements, and would exempt such families from compulsory school attendance laws. Additionally, the Department of Safety would be prohibited from using school attendance records or enrollment status as a condition for issuing driver licenses or learner's permits to school-aged applicants.

AI-generated from the bill text — verify against the official text.

Likely supporters & opponents

Likely support

  • Homeschool advocacy organizations — This law removes state oversight and reporting burdens from homeschooling families, protecting parental rights and educational freedom.
  • School-choice and parental-rights advocates — Eliminating compulsory attendance and assessment requirements for opt-in families respects parental authority over children's education.
  • Young people seeking driver licenses — Decoupling driver license eligibility from school enrollment removes a coercive lever and expands access based solely on age and safety qualifications.

Likely opposition

  • Public education and accountability advocates — Removing data collection and assessment requirements prevents the state from identifying at-risk students and ensuring educational quality and student safety.
  • Child-welfare advocates — Eliminating reporting and oversight requirements could mask abuse, neglect, or educational neglect within unmonitored home environments.

AI-inferred typical positions based on the bill’s substance — general stakeholder categories, not confirmed endorsements.

Should I support this?

Likely helpful for Christian families

For homeschooling families, this bill significantly expands educational freedom by creating a registration option free from state reporting, assessment, and compulsory attendance mandates—core concerns of homeschool advocates. It also removes the driver license penalty, which had pressured families to comply with state oversight to access age-appropriate privileges.

An AI assessment from a Christian-family perspective — religious freedom, parental rights, and freedom in education — not legal or voting advice.

💬 Chat about this bill ↗Official bill text ↗View on LegiScan ↗

Official summary

As introduced, enacts the "Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act," which creates a new category of independent home schools that are not subject to the data collection, reporting, or assessment requirements applicable to existing independent home school programs and that exempts such home school students and parents from compulsory school attendance requirements; 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. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 55.

Sponsors

  • Todd Warner (R)
  • Michele Reneau (R)
  • Jody Barrett (R)
  • Mike Sparks (R)

Status timeline

  1. 2025-03-12Sponsor(s) Added.H
  2. 2025-03-11Failed in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee of Education CommitteeH
  3. 2025-03-05Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/11/2025H
  4. 2025-02-20Sponsor(s) Added.H
  5. 2025-02-06Sponsor(s) Added.H
  6. 2025-02-05Assigned to s/c Education Administration SubcommitteeH
  7. 2025-02-05P2C, ref. to Education CommitteeH
  8. 2025-02-03Intro., P1C.H
  9. 2025-01-29Filed for introductionH

H = House · S = Senate · A = Assembly