Democrats passed bills on homeschooling and vaccines through key committees today, sending them to the full legislature for votes.  

One bill would require homeschool families to show that they are providing “equivalent instruction,” a response to two high-profile incidents involving households that pulled their children from public schools.  

Meanwhile, two other bills would give the public health commissioner more authority over vaccines.  

The Education Committee started the day on Tuesday morning with a debate on several bills, including the equivalent instruction proposal.  

Rep. Jennifer Leeper (D-Fairfield), a co-chair of the committee, said the bill would provide protections when families pull their kids from school.  

“What we are trying to do is have some system for the people who are withdrawing children to hide neglect and abuse,” she said.  

The Department of Children and Families has been receiving scrutiny for two incidents over the past year.  

One case involved the death of 11-year-old Mimi Torres Garcia. In the other, a Watebury man named S. claimed he set fire to his family’s home to bring attention to decades of abuse.  

Family members are facing criminal charges related to each incident.  

In both cases, the families pulled their kids from school and had contact with DCF. S.’s family claimed they were homeschooling him.  

This bill would require families, starting in the 2028-29 school year, to provide annual proof that they are educating their children if they opt for homeschooling.  

Options can include taking a standardized test or submitting a portfolio of lessons and work. Families who currently homeschool their children would be exempt, as the bill applies only to those who make that choice once the law takes effect.  

Dozens of homeschooling families came to the legislative office building to protest the vote, which passed 26-20.  

“This is completely turning upside down the whole authority when it comes to parents and the state over our children,” Ken Farrington, of Naugatuck, said.  

The bill would also require DCF to check if a family has an active case anytime a family notifies a public school that they are withdrawing their children.  

Meanwhile, the public health committee passed two bills giving the public health commissioner more freedom to purchase vaccines.  

Sen. Saud Anwar, (D-South Windsor), said the goal is to allow the commissioner to acquire vaccines, even if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommend the vaccines.  

He expressed concern about changes to vaccine guidance under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr.  

 “If you do not have the CDC on board and the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) on board, the state of Connecticut cannot buy those vaccines,” Anwar said. “So this law allows us to buy the vaccines.”  

But Sen. Heather Somers, (R-Groton), said she’s not aware of any reason the public health commissioner is not allowed to do that now.  

Republicans object to language that would bolster the attorney general’s ability to defend a state law ending the religious exemption to vaccines for students.  

“That is just a complete fabrication of what this bill is about,” Somers said. “This bill is about stopping a lawsuit that the state of Connecticut is afraid they’re going to lose.”