Illinois Homeschooling Bill is a Dishonest Cover Over its True Meaning as an Omnibus Bill to Confuse Illinoisans

House Bill 2827 jams three bills into one and denies education stakeholders an ample opportunity to voice their concerns. AFAA opposes this bloated bill.

Americans for Autism Advocacy (AFAA) is more than honored to submit a witness slip and written testimony to the Illinois House of Representatives on March 19, 2025 in opposition to House Bill 2827.  Below are sections of AFAA’s written testimony opposing HB 2827:

A Current Primer on Autism Diagnosis in Illinois 

On behalf of AFAA’s board of directors, we are writing to submit testimony in opposition to House Bill 2827. Let’s begin by going over the current rate of Autism diagnosis in the State of Illinois. According to 2022 data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one out of every forty two (1:42) children are diagnosed with Autism.  Illinois’ child diagnosis rate of Autism is lower than the national average of 1:36.  World Population Review’s statistics of adult diagnosis of Autism shows Illinois as the seventh highest in the nation.

Introductory Concerns to the Illinois General Assembly on Homeschooling and Autism 

AFAA believes that no student on the spectrum is alike in their educational needs. Some students will thrive in a traditional classroom setting while others will benefit from homeschooling. One concern that must be addressed to this honorable committee is that some parents will find homeschooling as the only viable option for their neurodivergent child.  ProPublica reported on May 27, 2021, that Illinois used seclusion and restraint over 15,000 times during the 2020-2021 school year. Illinois responded to the ProPublica article by banning all forms of prone, physical restraint in 2021. The main issue the Illinois General Assembly has not addressed is the use of seclusion rooms and moving towards positive behavior intervention. Training school personnel on positive behavioral intervention from mental health professionals should be a priority to improving the educational environment for neurodivergent students. Some Illinois families who view homeschooling as their only alternative to a failing public education system. Passing HB 2827 sends a message that Illinois is more concerned about a one-size fits all approach for educational needs in the State of Illinois.

HB 2827 Is a Bloated Bill That Creates More Bureaucracy for Homeschooled Students and Could be a Risk for Federal Lawsuit on Privacy Rights 

Illinois families are homeschooling not based on choice but necessity.  HB 2827 is a bloated bill that will create more bureaucracy for homeschooled students by virtue of creation of the homeschool declaration form.  AFAA’s main concern is that enactment of HB 2827 could create additional concerns for families of students with disabilities. There should be no secret made that homeschooling has been chosen by parents of students on the neurodivergent spectrum. This includes students with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome, Dyslexia, and Tourette’s. One factor this honorable committee has not addressed is various privacy implications that are connected to both the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974  (FERPA) and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act of 1975 (IDEA).  The constitutionality of HB 2827 would be challenged in a federal court if the authors cannot address federally mandated privacy protections. The House of Representatives is urged to defeat this bill when it goes to the floor.

HB 2827 Creates a Mandatory Registry for Non-Public Schools Beginning in 2026 that Should be Stripped out of the Current Bill for Stand-Alone Legislation. 

The provisions in HB 2827 creating a mandatory registry for non-public schools should be removed.  Debating operating requirements for private schools should be addressed in stand-alone legislation. HB 2827 simply cobbles multiple pieces of legislation into one bill.  Given the over 40,000 witness slips opposed to this legislation, stakeholders representing private schools in Illinois have been left out of this current committee process. The House of Representatives must not advance HB 2827. The correct solution is to draft a separate bill that will give stakeholders the ample time to voice their concerns in a fair matter in the committee process.

After consideration of all the facts in HB 2827, AFAA cannot in good faith support legislation that places barriers on neurodivergent Illinoisans in their educational pursuits.

House Bill 2827 advanced out of the House Education Committee on March 19, 2025, in spite of 42,000 plus witness slips opposed to this legislation on the record.   As of this writing, HB 2827 is now under consideration by the full Illinois House of Representatives.  If you support privacy rights upheld in special education, AFAA urges you to contact your member of the Illinois House of Representatives.  You can call your lawmaker at the following numbers:

Illinois House of Representatives Switchboard 

Springfield and Downstate Illinois – 217-782-2000
Chicago Metropolitan Area – 312-814-3500