130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2021
Legislative Document No. 1383
H.P. 1017 House of Representatives, April 7, 2021
An Act To Limit Homework in Public Schools
Received by the Clerk of the House on April 5, 2021. Referred to the Committee on
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative COLLINGS of Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Printed on recycled paper
 1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2 Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4711, as amended by PL 2019, c. 106, §1, is further amended
3 to read:
4 §4711. Elementary course of study
5 The basic course of study for the elementary schools must provide for the instruction
6 of all students in career and education development, English language arts, world
7 languages, health education and physical education, mathematics, science and technology,
8 social studies and visual and performing arts, as described in the parameters for essential
9 instruction and graduation requirements subject to the schedule specified in section 6209.
10 Health education must include instruction that addresses the relationship between physical
11 and mental health in order to enhance student understanding of attitudes toward and
12 behavior relating to mental illness and to eliminate the stigma associated with mental
13 illness. Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year elementary students in kindergarten to
14 grade 5 may not be assigned homework unless the school board of the school administrative
15 unit has adopted a policy to permit the assignment of homework to elementary students.
16 Sec. 2. Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs to
17 study homework limits for middle school and high school students. The Joint
18 Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs shall conduct a study on the use of
19 homework in middle school and high school and determine recommendations regarding
20 limiting homework for middle school and high school students beginning in the 2023-2024
21 school year. The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs may submit
22 legislation on the subject of the study to the Second Regular Session of the 130th
23 Legislature no later than January 15, 2022.
24 SUMMARY
25 This bill provides that, beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, elementary students in
26 kindergarten to grade 5 may not be assigned homework unless the school board adopts a
27 policy to permit the assignment of homework. This bill also directs the Joint Standing
28 Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs to conduct a study on the use of homework
29 in middle school and high school and determine recommendations regarding limiting
30 homework.
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1383, HP 1017: 20-A.4711