CV NEWS FEED // In a surprising shift, the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) has withdrawn its opposition to legislation that would place sweeping new regulations on homeschooling families across the state.
House Bill 2827, known as the “Homeschool Act,” would significantly expand state oversight of homeschoolers, requiring detailed registration, documentation, and compliance with new instructional mandates, CatholicVote previously reported.
Although the bill is primarily aimed at regulating homeschooling, it also included provisions that would affect private and diocesan schools — raising alarms among Catholic educators and prompting the CCI’s initial opposition.
Until recently, the CCI had joined other critics in warning that the bill posed a serious threat to educational freedom and parental rights. In an earlier action alert, CCI stated that the bill would force Catholic schools to disclose “personally identifiable data of our students and families,” thereby “codifying an overreaching State policy that creates an intrusive relationship between the State and private institutions.”
In an April 10 statement given to CatholicVote, the CCI said that it originally opposed HB 2827 because parts of the bill would have required private (nonpublic) schools to report detailed information about their students.
However, just before the bill was amended and advanced April 9, the CCI received a revised version of the bill in which private and diocesan schools were no longer impacted.
“[T]he amendment we received the night before the hearing satisfied our concern. Our opposition was addressed,” the CCI told CatholicVote. “There is nothing in this bill nor in the amendments that interferes with our right to teach children according to the tenants of our faith.”
The organization has not publicly explained what specific language changed to resolve their objections.
Despite CCI’s reversal, critics warn that HB 2827 may still threaten core constitutional protections. Citing a century-old Supreme Court precedent affirming parents’ right “to direct the upbringing and education of children under their control,” legal analyst Mailee Smith of Illinois Policy argued that HB 2827 may violate both due process and religious liberty.
Under the bill’s provisions, truancy officers would be authorized to interrogate children privately — without cause and without the presence of a parent — merely for failing to file a homeschool notification form.
Under the current language of the bill, a single anonymous report of suspected truancy to a regional office of education would automatically trigger an investigation. The truancy officer would then be legally required to separate the child from their parents for questioning. Even if the officer ultimately finds “no cause” to proceed, Smith warned that the process itself is damaging and invasive.
“And all of this could be initiated by an anonymous complaint,” Smith stated. “Or a nosy neighbor. Or just someone who doesn’t like homeschooling.”
Beyond due process concerns, HB 2827 may also violate the First Amendment rights of religious families. The bill introduces language that could enable state officials to collect and catalog details about families’ use of faith-based curricula. The so-called “educational portfolio” — required when a family is flagged for truancy — must include a log of all instructional materials used, including religious content.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Terra Costa Howard, declined to call the bill for a vote before the April 12 House deadline, delaying its progress, WGN9 reported. However, the proposal could still resurface later in the session through procedural maneuvers or by being attached to other legislation.
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