MO HB458

Establishes "Bryce's Law," a Missouri special needs scholarship program administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education allowing scholarship granting organizations to provide educational scholarships to eligible students and children with special needs conditions.

Defines eligible recipients as elementary and secondary students with individualized education programs based on special needs (autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, Angelman syndrome, or cerebral palsy) and children ages birth to five with similar diagnoses or unsatisfactory First Steps program responses.

Scholarship granting organizations must be tax-exempt charitable organizations that spend at least 90 percent of donations on scholarships capped at $20,000 per eligible child or $50,000 per eligible student, with scholarships portable across qualified schools and service providers.

Participating schools and service providers must comply with health and safety laws, hold valid occupancy permits, certify non-discrimination compliance, and adhere to evidence-based intervention practices as outlined in the Missouri Autism Guidelines Initiative or equivalent analyses.

Program sunsets December 31, 2019 unless reauthorized, with reauthorized programs sunsetting December 31, 2031; Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must conduct and complete evaluation study by December 31, 2016.