Senate Bill 534 Summary

• Establishes the Indiana special education scholarship account program administered by the treasurer of state, providing education funding options for students with disabilities ages 5-21 with legal settlement in Indiana.

• Creates the special education scholarship account fund and individual accounts for eligible students; grant amounts are excluded from adjusted gross income for state income tax purposes.

• Eligible students must have a disability under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or have an individualized education program developed within the last 18 months; parents or emancipated students enroll March 1 through September 1 annually.

• Grant funds may be used for qualified expenses including tuition, fees, tutoring, curricular materials, educational therapies, assessments, and postsecondary education; parents may contribute up to 10% of annual grant funds to college savings accounts.

• Requires the department of education to provide lists of eligible students to the treasurer of state by May 1 and January 1 each year; treasurer must conduct annual surveys of program participants and report summaries to the governor and legislative council by November 1.