Homeschool Senate Bill - Please Read

A homeschool tax credit bill is currently making it's way through the General Assembly. On the surface, this bill sounds like a great idea because it wants to offer a $1,000 tax credit for homeschool materials bought by individual families. BUT, if you read through the entire bill you find that it also requires the State Dept of Ed to create new homeschool regulations that will verify participation in a home instruction program. 

In other words, if this tax credit bill passes, MSDE will be mandated by law to create new homeschool regulations that will define who is a homeschool family and what actually constitutes homeschooling. The potential negative effects of this bill are huge and will effect individual homeschool families *and* umbrella groups. You can get more details about this bill at 

http://www.handinhandhomeschool.com/legal/2014/2014sb271.php

We're encouraging Maryland homeschool families to contact Senator Nancy Jacobs at nancy.jacobs@senate.state.md.us, the lead sponsor for SB 271, and ask that she immediately withdraw this bill.

You are welcome to use the following text in your email:

I urge you to withdraw SB 271-Income Tax Credit - Home Instruction Expenses from the 2014 legislative agenda. As a Maryland homeschool family, I appreciate your desire to offer tax relief to families like mine, however, this is an unnecessary measure which I do not support.

We are also asking families to contact Delegate Steven Schuh at steve.schuh@house.state.md.us to request that he immediately withdraw the identical House bill that is slated to be introduced in the House of Delegates sometime this week.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

In the event that the Senate bill is not withdrawn, it will go to a the Senate Budget and Taxation committee for a public hearing on Wed, Jan 29 at 1:00pm. We are asking homeschool families to come out to Annapolis to testify against this bill - or otherwise come out to show your support for having this bill withdrawn.

If you are planning on testifying, you are welcome to contact me so that we can coordinate talking points. Each person gets 3-minutes to speak and we've found in the past that it is more effective when each person focuses on a specific talking point, rather than trying to cover too many points in too little time.

Regardless of which side of this issue you support, you can find information about testifying before a Senate or House committee in Annapolis at http://www.handinhandhomeschool.com/legal/testifying-on-behalf-bill.php.

Alessa Giampaolo Keener

agkeener@aol.com

** You are welcome to forward this email in it's entirety to other homeschool families interested in this legislative update. **

Helping families find the answers they need along their educational journey.
www.handinhandhomeschool.com

Follow us at facebook.com/HandInHandHomeschool for the latest updates and news

And now on Twitter @HIHHomeschool