House Bill 2827 requires every non-public school in Illinois to provide the name, date of birth and address of each child attending its school, along with the name and address of at least one parent to both the State and regional offices of education and/or Chicago Public Schools. Forcing our Catholic schools to provide personally identifiable data about our students and families not only violates a basic trust between the school and the family, but also codifies an overreaching State policy that creates an intrusive relationship between the State and private institutions.  

HB 2827 also seeks to regulate Homeschooling in Illinois. All homeschool parents will be required to register annually with the State and submit the same aforementioned information to the State and local educational organizations. In addition, beginning August 1, 2026, the bill would require every non-public school to register with the state annually. Currently, nonpublic school registration and recognition are voluntary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. 

This legislation runs counter to this time-tested principle. This legislation is an unfunded mandate for our schools as well as an example of government overreach.