Senate Bill No. 1161 Summary

• Establishes two types of education grants: micro grants of $1,000 for eligible education expenses and tuition grants of $6,000 for nonpublic school academic instruction, with department approval capped at 2,000 tuition grant applications annually.

• Prioritizes micro grant awards based on household income, first to families under $60,000 adjusted gross income, then under $75,000, then first-come first-served; caps family awards at $3,000 regardless of number of eligible students.

• Creates an empowering parents panel of seven members appointed by governor and legislative leaders to recommend other eligible education expenses, approve nonpublic school applications, and advise on program implementation.

• Requires nonpublic schools receiving tuition grant payments to affirm independence from state regulation and control, with no surety bond requirements except for schools receiving over $100,000 annually.

• Phases implementation in two stages: sections effective July 1, 2023 establish the original micro grant program, while sections effective July 1, 2029 establish the revised program structure with tuition grants; requires program evaluation by June 30, 2024 and every two years thereafter.