Homeschooled kids in Mississippi could soon be eligible to play public school sports, per a piece of legislation that passed the House of Representatives without debate on Tuesday.
House Bill 1617, referred to as the “Tim Tebow Act,” aims to provide homeschooled students access to extracurricular activities under the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA). Everything from football to chess falls under the bill’s definition of “interscholastic extracurricular activities.”
Homeschooled students interested in participating in the MHSAA would be designated a public school based on their place of residence. Documentation such as standardized test results or a portfolio demonstrating academic proficiency will be required to become eligible.
Additionally, homeschooled students participating would have to pay a participation or activity fee equal to or higher than the fee charged to public school students.
If approved by the Senate and makes it past Republican Gov. Tate Reeves’ desk, Mississippi will become the latest state to implement some version of the “Tim Tebow Act.” Over 30 states have enacted laws to allow homeschooled students to compete in public school extracurriculars – something Tebow did in Florida before going on to play quarterback in the college and the NFL.
It is worth noting that a similar bill also dubbed the “Tim Tebow Act” died in the Senate Education Committee last week.
