Bredesen signs diploma bill

Tennessee law has changed to end practices of discrimination against homeschool diplomas awarded by so-called umbrella schools, which home educators in the state gather under to keep from getting rained on by state bureaucracy.

State-licensed day care centers and police departments had turned up their noses at the qualifications of several homeschool grads, claiming they hadn’t really graduated from high school because they had their credentials from an umbrella school.

Gov. Phil Bredesen signed the bill to end this unfavorable trend.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Mike Bell, a homeschool dad who got his start in the affairs of the state legislature by being engaged as a lobbyist for THEA.

We should praise God that the law has been altered to give this largely Christian group of families the credit that the marketplace is already given to their graduating children.

Here is the bulk of the language of the less-than-one-page piece of legislation passed by both houses of the General Assembly:

Section 1-3-1__. Notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or other provision of law to the contrary, a high school diploma awarded by a school as defined by Section 49-50- 801 or Section 49-6-3050 in recognition of completion of secondary educational requirements shall be considered by all departments, agencies, commissions or other such entities of state and local government as having all the rights and privileges of a high school diploma awarded by a public school system. This section shall not apply to state lottery proceeds as provided in title 49, chapter 4, part 9.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.