An Illinois bill that could significantly alter homeschooling regulations in the state has sparked concerns about creating “a pipeline to the criminal justice system for parents,” a state Democratic legislator cautioned on Thursday.

Rep. La Shawn Ford, representing a Chicago district, expressed this concern as parents, students, and critics of HB 2827, known as the Homeschool Act, gathered for a protest in the city’s downtown area.

This legislation, currently progressing through the Illinois state legislature, proposes charging parents with a misdemeanor if they neglect to submit a “homeschool declaration form” for their children to the nearest public school they would otherwise attend. Additionally, it mandates that documentation of immunizations and health exams be provided for children who wish to engage in public school activities.

“I support the representative that is sponsoring the bill, and I hope that we can work with her to have this bill become something that you can support. But right now, I don’t believe the bill is exactly what’s needed in Illinois,” Ford said. “I believe in restorative justice. I believe in making sure that people don’t have a pathway to the criminal justice system. And this bill is a pipeline to the criminal justice system for parents. And I can’t stand for that. How can we criminalize parents for wanting to love their children?” 

Rep. La Shawn Ford, an Illinois state Democrat, said “this bill is a pipeline to the criminal justice system for parents.” (Fox News)

However, opponents of the bill argue there’s no correlation between homeschooled students being more at risk of abuse than those in the public school system. 

“Many families need to make sometimes untimely decisions to pull their children out of a public school setting for their own safety, and a more effective learning environment,” Chantal Moore, a homeschooling mother, said at the rally Thursday. 

Moore said her son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but that he has thrived in a homeschooling environment. 

“Keeping our children safe is not acquired by a form, but by standing as a community together,” she added. 

A March 19 protest against House Bill 2827, known as the Homeschool Act, at the Illinois state capitol. (Fox News)

Aziza Butler, a self-described homeschooling mother of six and former Chicago Public Schools teacher, said, “Not only will this bill divert precious resources, time and energy away from the critical needs of public schools who are already in peril, but it threatens an education revolution that so many minorities are benefiting from.” 

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.