House Bill 433: An Act to Expand the Compulsory Attendance Age

Authors:
Rep. Sue Malek

Summary:
This bill would expand the compulsory attendance age in Montana from 7 to 6 years as the required starting age and from 16 to 17 years or graduation from high school as the time when a student may leave school. HSLDA opposes any expansion of state control over education.

Great news! House Bill 433 is dead. This legislation would have expanded the compulsory school attendance age in Montana from 7 to 6 as the required starting age and from 16 to 17 or graduation from high school as the time when a student may leave school. After a hearing by the House Education Committee on February 20, 2009, at which several homeschoolers testified, the committee voted to table the bill by a vote of 15 to 3. This means the bill will not be considered further this legislative session.

Many thanks to all of you who contacted members of the House Education Committee to express you opposition to this legislation. We especially appreciate the work of Steve White and others from the Montana Coalition of Home Educators who organized and provided testimony at the hearing this past Friday.

Status:

2/4/2009		(House) Introduced
2/4/2009		(House) First Reading
2/4/2009		(House) Referred to Education Committee
2/4/2009		(House) Introduced Bill Text Available Electronically
2/5/2009		(House) Fiscal Note Requested
2/19/2009		(House) Fiscal Note Received
2/20/2009		(House) Fiscal Note Signed
2/20/2009		(House) Fiscal Note Printed
2/20/2009		(House) Education Committee Hearing
2/20/2009		(House) Tabled in Education Committee
2/26/2009		(House) Missed Deadline for General Bill Transmittal
4/28/2009		(House) Died in Standing Committee

HSLDA Position:
This bill should be opposed.

Action Requested:
None at this time.

Other Resources

E-lert—Feb. 17, 2009—Montana: Calls Needed to Oppose Compulsory Attendance Age Bill

E-lert—Feb. 24, 2009—Montana: Compulsory Attendance Age Bill Dies

Bill Text ( requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)