Bill > SB0494

This bill, known as the Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act, creates a new category of independent home schooling in Tennessee that is significantly less regulated than existing home school programs. Parents who choose this new type of home school will be exempt from traditional educational requirements such as state-mandated assessments, reporting, and documentation. The bill specifically allows parents to direct their children's education without government interference, prohibiting state or local agencies from imposing curriculum guidelines, mandating specific instructional materials, or requiring any educational documentation. Additionally, children in these home schools will be exempt from compulsory school attendance laws and truancy interventions. The bill also modifies driver's license regulations to prevent the Department of Safety from conditioning license issuance on a student's school attendance record or enrollment status, effectively removing previous restrictions that linked school attendance to driving privileges. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2025, and apply to children between six and seventeen years old, providing parents with unprecedented educational autonomy and removing many existing state educational oversight mechanisms.

Education

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0494&ga=114