Bill No. H32
Bill ID
1428133
State
NC
Title
NC H32 - Equity in Opportunity Act
Description
PFPS Summary: "HB32 makes several changes to the State's existing voucher programs. Whereas current eligibility criteria for the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program requires a student to have attended public school during the previous spring semester, HB32 expands eligibility for the 2021-22 school year to students who enrolled in private school for the spring of the 2019-20 school year and the entire 2020-21 school year, and gives them the same “first priority” for vouchers as afforded to students who previously received vouchers. Beginning in spring of the 2021-22 school year, the bill also expands eligibility for the Opportunity Scholarship voucher to students entering second grade, students turning four on or before April 16 who are deemed gifted and admitted by a private school, and children of honorably discharged service members. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, the bill expands eligibility to students who were enrolled in a public school during the previous fall semester and then enrolled in a private school during the spring semester. It also expands eligibility to children in foster care, regardless of household income. In 2022-23, the bill changes the cap on the voucher amount from $4,200 to 70% of the average State per pupil allocation in the prior fiscal year, and to 80% beginning in 2023-24. Beginning June 30, 2021, the bill prioritizes $500,000 of unexpended funds to contract with a nonprofit corporation to promote the State’s voucher programs and assist families with the application process. It reduces the percentage of funds that the State Education Assistance Authority may retain for administration of the program from 4% to 2.5%. HB32 also modifies the State’s ESA voucher programs for students with disabilities, by consolidating existing programs into the new Student Accounts for Children with Disabilities ESA voucher program. It expands eligibility to students with 504 plans and students turning four on or before April 16 who are deemed gifted and admitted by a non-public school. For students with certain disabilities (autism; hearing impairment; moderate or severe intellectual or developmental disability; multiple, permanent orthopedic impairments; and visual impairment), the bill increases the voucher amount up to $17,000 per year, and up to $4,500 may be carried forward to the next school year. For all other eligible students, the bill changes the voucher cap from $9,000 to the sum of the prior fiscal year’s State allocation per funded child with disabilities plus 85% of the average State per pupil allocation, except for the allocation for children with disabilities. Students using ESA vouchers may also qualify for the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program. The bill also allows parents to be reimbursed for tuition at private schools that do not comply with accountability measures generally imposed on private schools accepting students using vouchers, such as administering standardized tests, reporting testing data and graduation rates, conducting a financial review by CPA for schools receiving more than $300,000 in voucher funds, and agreeing not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The bill eliminates the requirement to verify the information in 6% of ESA voucher applications annually, including those with apparent errors on the face of the application. The bill also establishes the Personal Education Student Account Fund Reserve for the purpose of allocating funds from the state general fund for the ESA voucher program. The bill provides an increase in funds of at least $1,000,000 each fiscal year for 10 years. For 2021-22, the allocation would be $16,043,166. By 2031-32, the amount grows to $26,043,166. The bill consolidates into the Reserve the funding for the Special Education Scholarships for Children with Disabilities and the Personal Education Savings Account Program to administer funds for the new Personal Education Student Accounts for Children with Disabilities ESA voucher program. Finally, the bill authorizes each county to use up to $1,000 in local funds to supplement the vouchers of students attending private schools within a given county."
Bill Type
Bill
Category
Program Expansion
Session
2021-2022 Session
Special Session
No Data Available
Current Status
Engrossed
Status Last Updated
2021-04-15
Pending Committee