OR HB3217

Establishes the Oregon Empowerment Scholarship Program providing eligible students (those with disabilities or qualifying for free/reduced lunch who attended public school for 100+ days) with individual accounts receiving 90% of statewide average per-student funding for qualified educational expenses including private school tuition, tutoring, educational therapies, and post-secondary costs

Limits program enrollment to 0.5% of students per school district for the first 10 years (through 2036-2037) unless districts consent to higher percentages, with lottery selection if applications exceed the cap

Requires students to demonstrate proficiency in Essential Learning Skills (reading, writing, and mathematics) before receiving a high school diploma or modified diploma, effective for diplomas awarded on or after January 1, 2026

Removes the 3% cap requiring students to obtain resident district approval before enrolling in virtual public charter schools not sponsored by their district, effective July 1, 2025 for the 2025-2026 school year

Creates an open enrollment process allowing students to attend schools in nonresident districts with consent only from the receiving district, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, with districts required to decide by March 1 annually whether to participate