ND HB1369

Establishes an education empowerment program allowing parents to receive state funds (50% of per-student payment rate, or weighted amount for students with individualized education plans) to pay for qualified education expenses for kindergarten through grade 5 students.

Funds may be used for tuition, books, instructional materials, curriculum, computers, private tutoring, educational therapies, and standardized testing, but not food or childcare.

Parents may choose any qualified education method including nonpublic schools, private tutors, online learning, or public school educational services, provided the qualified provider is licensed or accredited and accepts program funds.

Requires annual nationally recognized norm-referenced achievement testing with results reported to an independent researcher who produces annual aggregated reports; parents may opt out for philosophical, moral, or religious reasons.

Appropriates $200,000 for temporary program administrators and $5,000,000 for program participant funding for the 2021-2023 biennium, with program funds available starting in the 2022-23 school year.