The House Education Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 20, the universal Education Freedom Accounts bill, on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, but there were so many people registered to testify that the hearing was recessed and will resume on Thursday, February 11th starting at 9am. We live blogged it on Facebook here and the video is available on the NH House YouTube channel.
As introduced, HB 20 poses a risk to homeschoolers; here is our full analysis. We have been working with EFA supporters to seek a resolution to these issues.
This is GSHE’s testimony submitted to the House Education Committee for the public hearing.
We also produced the following brief video as a way to explain and clarify the problematic aspects of the EFA bill as it impacts homeschoolers, along with a solution to address these concerns.
Next Steps
The House Education Committee may vote on HB 20 at any time once the hearing is closed. The committee may still accept written testimony on the bill any time until the bill is exec’d, or voted on by the committee. At the time the hearing closed, it was not clear if the committee would allow more people to register to testify or sign in support, opposition or neutral on the bill. Here is the information how to register with the NH House for virtual hearings. If you wish to send in written remarks, specify that you want it included in the bill’s permanent record. The committee’s group email is HouseEducationCommittee@leg.state.nh.us.
GSHE does not have a position on HB 20 because we believe families should make a decision for themselves whether or not they support, oppose, or are neutral on the bill. We provide this additional background and analysis so families can make a fully-informed decision whether it is a good fit for them or not. We will continue to monitor the progress of HB 20 and the other Education Freedom Account bills as they move through the legislature.
Stay Informed
Granite State Home Educators has a Facebook group, GSHE Action, specifically to track legislation and issues related to homeschool freedom. All homeschoolers are welcome to join.
Read more about EFA efforts in our preliminary analysis of the 2021 Educational Opportunities Funding Bills and detailed analysis in HB 20 Puts Homeschoolers at Risk.
By Michelle Levell
Granite State Home Educators is a 501c4 all-volunteer NH-based support group for the homeschool community.
