HB 2810 Summary

• Allows Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) holders to use account funds to pay for evaluations provided by a qualified examiner (licensed physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist) to determine disability eligibility for additional services.

• If the Department of Education fails to maintain a contract with an independent third party evaluator, parents may obtain evaluations from qualified examiners and pay for them with ESA funds, or the school district must pay if account funds are insufficient.

• Permits county school superintendents to approve lists of independent evaluators within their counties when the state contract is not in effect, with parents able to obtain evaluations from qualified examiners if no county list is provided within 90 days.

• Establishes that students previously qualified for an ESA remain eligible to apply for renewal regardless of changes to their evaluation team plans until they finish high school.

• Clarifies that ESA funds may be used for educational and psychological evaluations as part of associated goods and services for students meeting specified disability criteria.