[POPAI note: this bill was signed by the Governor on 4/10/2025]
The types of diplomas accepted by public employers and institutions could be altered by House Bill 1348 by Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola.
The bill, which currently sits in the Senate Education and Career Development Committee, would prohibit state and local agencies and higher-education institutions from denying or treating applicants differently if their diploma were from a non-accredited, non-public school. This would also prevent the employer from providing additional testing.
“My parents made their decision to homeschool their children very early on in the modern homeschool environments, and we’re blessed to be able to go through that process,” Wesco said. He acknowledged that his diploma and transcripts were validated by his parents and said he was grateful not to have been treated differently based on the origin of his credentials. He went on to attend Bethel University in Mishawaka.
“There have been reports in our state of local units of government, particularly, I won’t name anyone, but one of the largest law enforcement local entities in our state, that have rejected applicants solely on the basis of the origin of their diploma,” he said.