House Bill 822 Summary

• Establishes the Education Savings Account (ESA) program allowing parents of eligible Idaho students to receive 90% of average public school spending (including weighted funding for students with disabilities, English language learners, homeless students, and low-income students) deposited quarterly into education savings accounts.

• Permits ESA funds to be used for qualifying educational expenses including private school tuition, tutoring, online learning programs, textbooks, technology, therapies, higher education tuition, standardized test fees, and other state board-approved educational expenses.

• Creates a seven-member Parent Review Committee consisting of ESA student parents representing at least four counties to review questionable expenditures and provide recommendations to the State Board of Education on program implementation.

• Prohibits education service providers from refunding or rebating ESA funds to parents and restricts them from altering their creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum to accept ESA payments, while limiting state regulatory authority over providers.

• Takes effect July 1, 2022 with an emergency declaration; accounts remain active until student withdrawal, graduation from college with a bachelor's degree, age 26, or four years post-high school without postsecondary enrollment.