Revision: June 7, 2023, 11:02 a.m.
Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24
Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5
Sen. Fenton, Dist 10
June 6, 2023
2023-2161s
02/10
Floor Amendment to HB 367-FN-LOCAL
Amend the bill by replacing all after the enacting clause with the following:
1 Education Freedom Accounts; Definition; Eligible Student. Amend RSA 194-F:1, VI to read as follows:
VI. "Eligible student" means a resident of this state who is eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school and whose annual household income at the time the student applies for the program, and for each school year during the student's participation, is less than or equal to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines as updated annually in the Federal Register by the United States Department of Health and Human Services under 42 U.S.C. section 9902(2). [No income threshold need be met in subsequent years, provided the student otherwise qualifies.] Students in the special school district within the department of corrections established in RSA 194:60 shall not be eligible students.
2 New Paragraph; Program; Department of Education; Reporting. Amend RSA 194-F:2 by inserting after paragraph IX the following new paragraph:
X. The department shall report annually by July 1 to the legislative oversight committee established in RSA 194-F:12 and to the chairpersons of the education committees of the house of representatives and senate, on the number of students in each school district that are participating in the EFA program.
3 Education Freedom Accounts; Authority and Responsibilities of the Scholarship Organization; Administrative Costs. Amend RSA 194-F:4, V to read as follows:
V. The scholarship organization may withhold from deposits or deduct from EFAs an amount to cover the costs of administering the EFA program, up to a maximum of [10] 8 percent annually.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
2023-2161s
AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requires an annual determination of eligibility for awarding of education freedom account funds. The bill requires an annual report on the number of students participating in the program in each school district. The bill also decreases the amount education freedom account scholarship organizations may withhold for administrative costs.