ANDREW MULLINS

Support of provisions in S. 306, the Enhancing Education Opportunities for All Students Act, which will allow homeschool families to use the Coverdell Education Savings Account for homeschool k-12 expenses. Currently, federal law only allows families to use the Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for "public and private school expenses," and S. 306 would allow families to use Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for homeschool expenses, as well as public and private school expenses. Opposition to any federal funds going to homeschoolers, including "Title I portability." Meetings with staffers to oppose provisions in HR 5517 that could potentially allow homeschool students to receive Title I federal funds. HSLDA opposes this because it could lead to federal regulation over homeschool families.

Support of provisions in S. 306, the Enhancing Education Opportunities for All Students Act, which will allow homeschool families to use the Coverdell Education Savings Account for homeschool k-12 expenses. Currently, federal law only allows families to use the Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for "public and private school expenses," and S. 306 would allow families to use Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for homeschool expenses, as well as public and private school expenses. Opposition to any federal funds going to homeschoolers, including "Title I portability." Meetings with staffers to oppose provisions in HR 5517 that could potentially allow homeschool students to receive Title I federal funds. HSLDA opposes this because it could lead to federal regulation over homeschool families.

Support of provisions in S. 306, the Enhancing Education Opportunities for All Students Act, which will allow homeschool families to use the Coverdell Education Savings Account for homeschool k-12 expenses. Currently, federal law only allows families to use the Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for "public and private school expenses," and S. 306 would allow families to use Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for homeschool expenses, as well as public and private school expenses.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It has been reintroduced in the Senate as S.J.Res. 36. We are working with House sponsors to reintroduce in the House.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Support of H.R. 1153, The Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act of 2015. This bill contains a section allowing persecuted homeschoolers overseas to claim asylum in the United States. HSLDA is neutral on all other provisions of the bill. We sent out action alerts and lobbied Members and Staff in the House to support the homeschool asylum language in H.R. 1153.

Support of H.R. 1153, The Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act of 2015. This bill contains a section allowing persecuted homeschoolers overseas to claim asylum in the United States. HSLDA is neutral on all other provisions of the bill. We sent out action alerts and lobbied Members and Staff in the House to support the homeschool asylum language in H.R. 1153, and to bring the bill up for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Support of H.R. 1153, The Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act of 2015. This bill contains a section allowing persecuted homeschoolers overseas to claim asylum in the United States. HSLDA is neutral on all other provisions of the bill. We continue to urge the House and Senate to take up the homeschool asylum section.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, in the House, and S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, in the Senate. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. When the final bill came out, the Every Student Succeeds Act, all of our language was included in the final bill, and we notified Members of Congress and the public about this, but HSLDA remained neutral on the overall bill. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization Conference Report. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We opposed Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We defeated Section 574 in the Conference Report. We continued to monitor this and discuss it with House and Senate Members and Staff as the bill went through Congress and was signed into law.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, in the House, and S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, in the Senate. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization Conference Report. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We opposed Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We defeated Section 574 in the Conference Report.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced in the House as H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, and in the Senate as S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA supports S. 182, the LOCAL Level Act, and S. 73, the Local Control of Education Act. We urged the Senate to include this language in the Senate ESEA reauthorization bill, and in the Senate Budget Resolution. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization bills. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We oppose Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We will work to make sure Section 574 in the House-passed NDAA is removed during the conference committee.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, in the House, and S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, in the Senate. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. When the final bill came out, the Every Student Succeeds Act, all of our language was included in the final bill, and we notified Members of Congress and the public about this, but HSLDA remained neutral on the overall bill. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization Conference Report. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We opposed Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We defeated Section 574 in the Conference Report. We continued to monitor this and discuss it with House and Senate Members and Staff as the bill went through Congress and was signed into law.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced as H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA supported S. 182, the LOCAL Level Act, and S. 73, the Local Control of Education Act. We urged the Senate to include this language in the Senate ESEA reauthorization bill, and in the Senate Budget Resolution. HSLDA filed public comments against proposed regulations by the U.S. Department of Education concerning teacher training. The regulations would reach further into state and local education by requiring state and private teacher training programs to meet certain standards as a condition for states receiving federal education funds, while demanding more detailed data from states and private colleges on these programs. The proposed regulation can be found at 79 FR 71819.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, in the House, and S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, in the Senate. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization Conference Report. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We opposed Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We defeated Section 574 in the Conference Report.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced in the House as H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, and in the Senate as S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA supports S. 182, the LOCAL Level Act, and S. 73, the Local Control of Education Act. We urged the Senate to include this language in the Senate ESEA reauthorization bill, and in the Senate Budget Resolution. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization bills. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We oppose Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We will work to make sure Section 574 in the House-passed NDAA is removed during the conference committee.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced in the House as H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, and in the Senate as S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA supports S. 182, the LOCAL Level Act, and S. 73, the Local Control of Education Act. We urged the Senate to include this language in the Senate ESEA reauthorization bill, and in the Senate Budget Resolution. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization bills. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We oppose Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We will work to make sure Section 574 in the House-passed NDAA is removed during the conference committee.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, in the House, and S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, in the Senate. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. When the final bill came out, the Every Student Succeeds Act, all of our language was included in the final bill, and we notified Members of Congress and the public about this, but HSLDA remained neutral on the overall bill. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization Conference Report. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We opposed Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We defeated Section 574 in the Conference Report. We continued to monitor this and discuss it with House and Senate Members and Staff as the bill went through Congress and was signed into law.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, in the House, and S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, in the Senate. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization Conference Report. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We opposed Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We defeated Section 574 in the Conference Report.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced as H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA supported S. 182, the LOCAL Level Act, and S. 73, the Local Control of Education Act. We urged the Senate to include this language in the Senate ESEA reauthorization bill, and in the Senate Budget Resolution. HSLDA filed public comments against proposed regulations by the U.S. Department of Education concerning teacher training. The regulations would reach further into state and local education by requiring state and private teacher training programs to meet certain standards as a condition for states receiving federal education funds, while demanding more detailed data from states and private colleges on these programs. The proposed regulation can be found at 79 FR 71819.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced in the House as H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, and in the Senate as S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA supports S. 182, the LOCAL Level Act, and S. 73, the Local Control of Education Act. We urged the Senate to include this language in the Senate ESEA reauthorization bill, and in the Senate Budget Resolution. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization bills. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We oppose Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We will work to make sure Section 574 in the House-passed NDAA is removed during the conference committee.

Support of provisions in S. 306, the Enhancing Education Opportunities for All Students Act, which will allow homeschool families to use the Coverdell Education Savings Account for homeschool k-12 expenses. Currently, federal law only allows families to use the Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for "public and private school expenses," and S. 306 would allow families to use Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for homeschool expenses, as well as public and private school expenses. Opposition to Proposed IRS regulations concerning optional social security number collection from donors to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations out of concern that this could chill donations to charities, and that it may lead to mandatory social security number collection. The proposed regulations were published on September 17, 2015, under IRS Docket Number IRS-2015-0049. We notified our membership about our concerns and urged public comments in opposition to the regulations in December of 2015. The Proposed Regulations were withdrawn by the IRS in January of 2016.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced as H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA supported S. 182, the LOCAL Level Act, and S. 73, the Local Control of Education Act. We urged the Senate to include this language in the Senate ESEA reauthorization bill, and in the Senate Budget Resolution. HSLDA filed public comments against proposed regulations by the U.S. Department of Education concerning teacher training. The regulations would reach further into state and local education by requiring state and private teacher training programs to meet certain standards as a condition for states receiving federal education funds, while demanding more detailed data from states and private colleges on these programs. The proposed regulation can be found at 79 FR 71819.

Protection of home education from government regulation - meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to talk about homeschooling success and to ask Congress to "leave us alone." Meetings with Members of Congress and staff about protecting homeschool freedom in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced in the House as H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, and in the Senate as S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act. We urged Congress to include the protective language for homeschools already codified in 20 U.S.C. 7886. This language was included, as well as language protecting state autonomy in certain education decisions, including over whether or not to adopt the Common Core. HSLDA is supportive of these sections giving states local control over education, and is neutral on H.R. 5 and S. 1177 overall. Opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Common Core") due to the federal coercion on states to adopt the Common Core, and also due to the Common Core moving to nationalize education. Briefing Members of Congress and their staff about our concerns. Asking Members on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to defund any federal funding for Common Core, as well as fully defund Race to the Top. HSLDA supports S. 182, the LOCAL Level Act, and S. 73, the Local Control of Education Act. We urged the Senate to include this language in the Senate ESEA reauthorization bill, and in the Senate Budget Resolution. HSLDA also strongly opposes more federal involvement in early education, and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staff to oppose any expansion in this area in the House and Senate ESEA reauthorization bills. HSLDA also fought for student privacy in the annual National Defense Authorization Act in the House, H.R. 1735. Section 574 in the House NDAA included a provision directing the DOD to conduct a feasibility study on whether the DOD should track children of DOD military and civilian employees by where they are educated. HSLDA believes that this will threaten the privacy of homeschool families in the military. We oppose Section 574, and were successful in keeping it out of the Senate's version of the NDAA. We will work to make sure Section 574 in the House-passed NDAA is removed during the conference committee.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.

Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Speaking with staff and Members about the dangers of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All these treaties threaten parental rights, homeschool freedom, and US sovereignty. Meetings with Members of House and Senate and their staff to urge them to support the Parental Rights Amendment. It was introduced in the 113th Congress in the House as H.J.Res. 50, and in the Senate as S.J.Res. 37. The Amendment would preserve the right of parents to direct the education, upbringing, and care of their children.