North Carolina HB 815: Voucher School Accountability Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 815

Short Title: Voucher School Accountability Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Prather, Ball, Rubin, and von Haefen (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 8, 2025
*H815-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REVISE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY 2
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND TO INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY AND 3
REPORTING STANDARDS FOR NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVING 4
OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
7
PART I. REVISE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR OPPORTUNITY 8
SCHOLARSHIPS 9
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-562.1 reads as rewritten: 10
"§ 115C-562.1. Definitions. 11
The following definitions apply in this Part: 12
... 13
(3a) Eligible student. – A student residing in North Carolina who has not yet 14
received a high school diploma and who meets all of the following 15
requirements: 16
a. Is eligible to attend a North Carolina public school pursuant to Article 17
25 of this Chapter. A child who is the age of 4 on or before April 16 is 18
eligible to attend the following school year if the principal, or 19
equivalent, of the school in which the child seeks to enroll finds that 20
the student meets the requirements established by the Authority 21
pursuant to G.S. 115C-562.2(d) and those findings are submitted to the 22
Authority. 23
b. Has not been enrolled in a postsecondary institution as a full-time 24
student taking at least 12 hours of academic credit. 25
c. Has not been placed in a nonpublic school or facility by a public 26
agency at public expense. 27
... 28
(3d) Eligible student. – A student residing in North Carolina who has not yet 29
received a high school diploma and who meets all of the following 30
requirements: 31
a. Meets one of the following criteria: 32
1. Was a student (i) assigned to and attending a public school full 33
time pursuant to G.S. 115C-366 or (ii) enrolled full time in a 34
Department of Defense Elementary and Secondary School, 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 815-First Edition
established pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 2164 and located in North 1
Carolina, during the spring semester prior to the school year 2
for which the student is applying. 3
2. Received a scholarship grant for the school year prior to the 4
school year for which the student is applying. 5
3. Is eligible to enter kindergarten, first grade, or second grade 6
pursuant to Article 25 of this Chapter. A child who is the age 7
of 4 on or before April 16 is eligible to attend the following 8
school year if the principal, or equivalent, of the school in 9
which the child seeks to enroll finds that the student meets the 10
requirements established by the Authority pursuant to 11
G.S. 115C-562.2(d) and those findings are submitted to the 12
Authority with the child's application. 13
4. Is a child in foster care as defined in G.S. 131D-10.2(9). 14
5. Is a child whose adoption decree was entered not more than 15
one year prior to submission of the scholarship grant 16
application. 17
6. Is a child whose parent or legal guardian (i) is on full-time duty 18
status in the active uniformed service of the United States, 19
including members of the National Guard and Reserve on 20
active duty orders pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 12301, et seq., and 21
10 U.S.C. § 12401, et seq., or (ii) receives an honorable 22
discharge as an active duty member from the uniformed service 23
of the United States within 12 months prior to application. 24
7. Is a child who meets both of the following: 25
I. Was enrolled in a nonpublic school that meets the 26
requirements of Part 1 and Part 2 of this Article during 27
the spring semester prior to the school year for which 28
the student is applying. 29
II. Was enrolled for the entire school year immediately 30
prior to the school year in which the student enrolled in 31
the nonpublic school in one of the following: 32
A. A North Carolina public school. 33
B. A Department of Defense Elementary and 34
Secondary School established pursuant to 10 35
U.S.C. § 2164 and located in North Carolina. 36
a1. Has not enrolled in a postsecondary institution in a matriculated status 37
eligible for enrollment for 12 hours of academic credit. 38
b. Meets one of the following criteria: 39
1. Resides in a household with an income level not in excess of 40
two hundred percent (200%) of the amount required for the 41
student to qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch 42
program. The Authority shall not count any distribution from 43
the estate of a decedent in calculating the income level of the 44
applicant's household for the purposes of determining 45
eligibility for a scholarship under this sub-sub-subdivision. 46
2. Is a child in foster care as defined in G.S. 131D-10.2. The 47
Authority shall not consider the household income of t