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AL HB442
Bill
Status
5/9/2023
Primary Sponsor
Danny Garrett
Click for details
AI Summary
HB442 Summary: Alabama Fits All Scholarship Program
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Creates the Alabama Fits All Scholarship Program beginning March 1, 2024, allowing parents to establish scholarship accounts for eligible K-12 students with initial funding capped at $45 million and providing $6,900 per student for 2024-2025 school year with annual increases based on inflation.
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Requires the State Board of Education to contract with a single tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization as program manager by September 1, 2023, to administer accounts, establish eligibility, process applications, and manage scholarship fund disbursements to qualifying providers.
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Establishes eligibility requirements for students (must be Alabama residents, not enrolled in public schools, not receiving other state scholarships) and requires annual portfolio submissions demonstrating educational achievements; prioritizes enrollment for returning students, low-income students (200% federal poverty level), and siblings of current participants.
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Defines allowable scholarship expenses including tuition, tutoring, educational materials, software, technology, transportation (capped at $750/year), special education services, and approved examinations; prohibits rehabilitation programs and non-educational travel.
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Imposes fiscal safeguards including criminal background checks for program staff, annual independent audits by certified public accountants, restrictions on provider refunds/rebates, and reporting requirements to the Legislature beginning in 2025 regarding program costs, student demographics, and implementation outcomes.
Legislative Description
To create the Alabama Fits All Scholarship Program; require the State Board of Education to contract with a program manager to administer the program; to authorize the program manager to establish scholarship accounts on behalf of eligible students; to prohibit a program manager from accepting scholarship funds in certain circumstances; to require fiscal safeguards and accountability measures; to require eligible schools and service providers to meet certain standards to be eligible to receive scholarship funds; to authorize the program manager to distribute scholarship funds; to require the State Board of Education to provide limited oversight of the program manager, including an appeal process for the program manager's administrative decisions; to prohibit certain regulations of eligible schools and eligible service providers; to require criminal history background information checks for employees and officers of a program manager; to provide for program funding; and to require the program manager and the board to submit reports on the program to the Legislature.
Last Action
Introduced and Referred to House Ways and Means Education
5/9/2023