Iowa SF 431: A bill for an act establishing an education savings grant program for certain pupils attending a nonpublic school or receiving competent private instruction, establishing an education savings grant fund, providing an income tax exemption, making appropriations, providing penalties, and including applicability provisions.

Bill Text

Senate File 431 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 431
BY ZAUN
A BILL FOR
An Act establishing an education savings grant program for1
certain pupils attending a nonpublic school or receiving2
competent private instruction, establishing an education3
savings grant fund, providing an income tax exemption,4
making appropriations, providing penalties, and including5
applicability provisions.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:7
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S.F. 431
Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2021, is amended by adding1
the following new subsection:2
NEW SUBSECTION. 63. Adopt rules relating to the3
administration of and applications for the education savings4
grant program pursuant to section 257.11B, including but not5
limited to application processing timelines, information6
required to be submitted by a parent or guardian, and payment7
and recovery of education savings grant amounts. As part of8
administration of the education savings grant program, the9
department shall maintain updated lists of education service10
providers that provide services that are qualified educational11
expenses under section 257.11B, subsection 6, and provide12
parents and guardians with written explanations of allowable13
uses of education savings grant funds. Any rules adopted by14
the department should avoid excessive bureaucracy and overly15
prescriptive mandates and instead focus on easing parental16
involvement and encouraging educational service providers to17
provide parents and pupils with a broad array of educational18
options.19
Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 257.11B Education savings grant20
program.21
1. a. For the school budget year beginning July 1, 2022,22
and each succeeding school budget year, resident pupils23
eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade twelve and who24
are either attending a nonpublic school, as defined in section25
285.16, or are receiving competent private instruction under26
chapter 299A, and who are not otherwise ineligible under this27
section, shall be eligible to receive an education savings28
grant in the manner provided in this section.29
b. Education savings grants shall be made available to30
parents and guardians in the manner authorized under subsection31
4, paragraph “c”, for the payment of qualified educational32
expenses as provided in this section.33
c. For purposes of this section, “resident” means the same34
as defined in section 282.1, subsection 2.35
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S.F. 431
2. a. (1) By January 31 preceding the school year for1
which the education savings grant is requested, the parent2
or guardian of the pupil requesting to receive an education3
savings grant shall submit an application to the department of4
education, on application forms developed by the department5
of education, indicating that the parent or guardian intends6
to enroll the pupil in a nonpublic school or place the pupil7
under competent private instruction under chapter 299A for the8
entirety of the school year.9
(2) In addition to such information deemed appropriate by10
the department of education, the application shall require11
certification from the nonpublic school of the pupil’s12
enrollment or a statement from the intended provider of13
competent private instruction for the pupil for the following14
school year.15
(3) The department shall ensure accessibility to16
application materials, including by providing for an electronic17
method of applying for the education savings grant.18
(4) The department of education shall approve each19
application received under this section that satisfies the20
requirements to receive an education savings grant for the21
school year.22
(5) The department of education shall notify the parent or23
guardian of a pupil with a disability that participation in the24
education savings grant program is a parental placement under25
20 U.S.C. §1412, and provide an explanation of the rights that26
parentally placed students possess under federal law and any27
applicable state laws and regulations.28
b. By March 1 preceding the school year for which the29
education savings grant is requested, the department of30
education shall determine the number of pupils in each school31
district approved to receive a grant for the following school32
year and shall notify the parent or guardian of each pupil33
approved for the following school year to receive an education34
savings grant and the amount of the education savings grant for35
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S.F. 431
the pupil.1
c. Education savings grants shall only be approved for one2
school year and applications must be submitted annually for3
education savings grants in subsequent school years.4
3. The department of education shall assign each pupil an5
education savings grant in an amount equal to the sum of all of6
the following for the same school budget year:7
a. The product of the pupil’s weighted enrollment that8
would otherwise be assigned to the pupil under this chapter if9
the pupil