ATLANTA – House Majority Leader Jon Burns (R-Newington) today announced that House Bill 530 was signed by Governor Brian Kemp on Monday, May 6, 2019. HB 530 seeks to prevent parents and guardians from abusing Georgia’s homeschooling laws in an effort to evade prosecution for child abuse.
House Bill 530 was introduced during the 2019 legislative session in response to the deaths of two Effingham County children, Mary and Elwyn Crocker, whose parents withdrew them from public school claiming their intention to homeschool the children. According to reports, the Crocker parents had no intention to educate or care for their children and withdrew them from public school solely to evade prosecution for child abuse. The Crocker parents failed to file the required Declaration of Intent (DOI) to homeschool with the Georgia State Department of Education, and without the DOI, failed to comply with state homeschooling laws. The Crocker’s actions enabled their alleged abuse to go undetected and their two children to go missing. The two Crocker children were found buried behind their family’s trailer late last year.
“I am extremely proud of the work that was done to bring House Bill 530 to the Governor’s desk,” said Leader Burns. “Working with my colleagues, Representative Bill Hitchens and Senator Jack Hill, we crafted language that addresses the deficiencies within our law that enabled the Crocker’s horrific child abuse to go undetected. The deaths of Mary and Elwyn are a tragedy for our community and our state, but, today, we’re taking a bold step to ensure such abuse never happens again.”
House Bill 530 provides a necessary check on parents and guardians who seek to abuse Georgia’s homeschool laws to hide evidence of child abuse and neglect. Under the provisions of the bill, should a parent or guardian withdraw a child from public school without filing the required Declaration of Intent (DOI) to homeschool with the Georgia State Department of Education and the child fails to attend school for 45 days, the school is required to contact the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to conduct an assessment of the child’s well-being. Should the parent have filed a DOI and, for whatever reason, it failed to be received by the state Department of Education, the presentation of such DOI would terminate the DFCS investigation. Pursuant to Georgia law, parents and guardians are required to submit the DOI to homeschool within 30 days of starting the homeschool program.
For more information about House Bill 530, please click here.
Representative Jon Burns represents the citizens of District 159, which includes Screven County and portions of Bulloch and Effingham counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 and currently serves as House Majority Leader. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Economic Development & Tourism, Ethics, Game, Fish & Parks, Rules and Transportation committees.
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