CS/CS/HB 1 - The Hope Scholarship Program Summary

• Program Creation: Establishes the Hope Scholarship Program to allow parents of public school students who experienced violence or bullying to transfer their child to another public school or receive a scholarship to attend an eligible private school, effective July 1, 2018.

• Eligibility Requirements: Students in K-12 public schools are eligible if subjected to incidents including battery, harassment, hazing, bullying, kidnapping, physical attack, robbery, sexual offenses, threat, intimidation, or fighting at school.

• Scholarship Amounts: Maximum awards equal percentages of the unweighted FTE funding amount (88% for K-5, 92% for grades 6-8, 96% for grades 9-12); students transferring to public schools outside their district receive $750.

• Funding Mechanism: Creates a tax credit allowing motor vehicle purchasers to contribute up to $105 per vehicle to eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations; revenue funds the program with no state liability for award use.

• Private School Requirements: Participating private schools must comply with background screening requirements for employees, provide documentation for student participation, administer standardized testing, maintain fiscal soundness, and submit annual compliance certifications.