Senate Bill 105 Summary

• Changes the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program to remove the requirement that students must have attended a public school in the prior year, instead allowing students with disabilities or special needs to meet one of seven alternative eligibility criteria including having an IEP, ISP, military family status, homelessness, or prior involvement with DHS or Office of Juvenile Affairs.

• Requires parents or legal guardians of eligible students to meet annually with private school representatives to identify services necessary to support the student's special needs.

• Modifies scholarship calculation to be equivalent to total State Aid factors multiplied by grade and disability weights, capped at the lesser of the calculated amount or private school tuition and fees, with up to 2.5% retained by the State Department of Education for administrative costs.

• Maintains program requirements including private school accreditation, fiscal soundness, teacher qualifications, antidiscrimination compliance, and annual notarized compliance statements by participating private schools.

• Becomes effective July 1, 2025, with emergency clause allowing immediate effect upon passage and approval.