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AL HB295
Bill
Status
4/11/2023
Primary Sponsor
Ernie Yarbrough
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AI Summary
HB295 Summary
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Creates the Parental Rights in Children's Education (PRICE) Act to establish education savings accounts (ESAs) with annual funding of $6,900 per participating student beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, adjusted annually based on Foundation Program funding changes.
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Implements a three-year phase-in period starting in 2024-2025 for eligible students including kindergarten-entry age children, students in grades 3, 6, 9, and 12, students in lowest-performing schools, special education students, homeless and foster care students, and children of active military members or military families.
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Specifies qualifying expenses including tuition at nonpublic and public schools, curriculum and instructional materials, tutoring services, extracurricular activities, educational therapies, postsecondary education, computer hardware, and other department-approved educational expenses.
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Establishes a Parent Advisory Board with members appointed by legislative leaders and executive officials to review PRICE Program policies, approve education service providers, and hear appeals of denied expenses.
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Protects nonpublic school autonomy by prohibiting additional state regulation or licensure of participating schools and specifying that ESA participation does not subject schools to state control, while requiring audits for fraud detection and establishing procedures to bar providers engaged in intentional misuse of funds.
Legislative Description
Relating to education; to establish the Parental Rights in Children's Education (PRICE) Act relating to K-12 education; to secure the fundamental constitutional rights of parents to direct the education of their children; to create the PRICE Program; to establish a three-year phase-in period; to provide definitions; to establish the roles and responsibilities of the Parent Advisory Board, the Commissioner of Revenue, and the Department of Revenue; to create a process for granting education savings accounts; to establish funding mechanisms for the costs of education savings accounts and the administration of the program; to specify qualified expenses; to create requirements for education service providers; to establish an auditing, denial, and appeal mechanism for expenses, parents, participating students, and education service providers; to provide safeguards against any additional state control over or interference with nonpublic schools, their students, and their families; and to provide for legal remedies.
Last Action
Introduced and Referred to House Ways and Means Education
4/11/2023