HB 1268
"Home Education Freedom Act"Eliminates nearly all homeschool oversight — no notification, no evaluations, no portfolio requirements.
Status
Passed House 174-166. In Senate.
Vote: 174 Yea — 166 Nay
Sponsor
Rep. Kristin Noble (R-Bedford)
TL;DR
Eliminates the requirement for homeschool families to notify their school district, removes annual academic evaluation requirements, and scraps portfolio maintenance and completion letter submissions to the Department of Education. The state would have zero visibility into whether homeschooled children are actually being educated. While most homeschool families are dedicated educators, removing all oversight creates a black hole where educational neglect — and worse — can go undetected.
Full Analysis
Most homeschooling families are deeply committed to their children's education. Many produce excellent academic outcomes. This bill isn't about them — it's about removing every safeguard that protects the children whose families aren't providing an adequate education.
Current NH law requires homeschool families to notify their school district, maintain a portfolio of educational materials, participate in annual academic evaluations, and submit completion letters to the Department of Education. These are minimal requirements — they don't dictate curriculum or teaching methods. They simply verify that education is happening.
HB 1268, sponsored by Rep. Kristin Noble (R-Bedford), eliminates all of these requirements. Under this bill, a family could pull their children from school and the state would have no way to know those children exist in an educational context. No notification. No evaluation. No proof that any education is occurring.
The bill also exempts homeschooled students from child labor restrictions on work hours. This combination — no educational oversight plus relaxed work restrictions — creates a troubling scenario where children could be pulled from school and put to work with no one checking on their educational welfare. Passed the House 174-166 with 13 Republicans voting against their own party.
Bill statuses as of March 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.