Nebraska Pauses Pulling Kids Into Homeschool During Abuse Investigations

Nebraska has become the second state in the country to require a waiting period before a child can be pulled from public school into homeschooling when the parent or guardian is under an active child-welfare investigation. LB1224, sponsored by Sen. Megan Hunt and folded into the omnibus education bill LB937, was signed into law April 16, 2026.

Under the law, a withdrawal to homeschool is paused for 14 days once a Division of Children and Family Services investigation is active. The state estimates just over 18,000 Nebraska children were homeschooled ("exempt") in 2025–26, and for the overwhelming majority this changes nothing — it only bites when an investigation is already open.

The politics are unusual: the bill passed unanimously, yet HSLDA and Nebraska homeschool groups opposed it, arguing it tramples due process by restricting a family before any finding of wrongdoing. Child-welfare advocates counter that reactive withdrawal shows up in a disproportionate share of the worst abuse outcomes.

1. If you're not under investigation, this law does not affect your right to withdraw or homeschool in Nebraska.
2. File your Rule 13 exempt-school paperwork as usual through the Nebraska Department of Education.

Bill sponsor Sen. Hunt said she was inspired by West Virginia's "Raylee's Law," named for an 8-year-old whose death followed a withdrawal to homeschool during a CPS investigation. The Coalition for Responsible Home Education backed Nebraska's version; HSLDA called it a violation of families' due-process rights. The law also bars anyone convicted of specific crimes against children from providing homeschool instruction.