Signed by Governor Rick Scott

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that establishes the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program and expands the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

Highlights:

• Establishes the “Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program” that authorizes a parent of a student with a disability to request and receive an account in the Program and use the funds for certain purposes including, but not limited to, the following purposes (Sec. 16):
• Enrollment in, or tuition or fees associated with enrollment in, a private school;
• Applied behavioral analysis services;
• Services provided by physical therapists; and 
• Services provided by listening and spoken language specialists. 

• Authorizes a parent of a student with a disability to request an account if the student meets the following criteria (Sec. 16): 
• The student has a disability;
• The student is a resident of the state of California;
• The student is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school; and
• The student is the subject of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or has received a diagnosis of a disability from a physician or a psychologist. 

• Specifies that the following students are not eligible for the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program if he or she meets certain criteria including, but not limited to, the following criteria (Sec. 16):
• The student is enrolled in public school;
• The student is enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in the Department of Juvenile Justice commitment programs; or
• The student is receiving any educational scholarship, including from the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

• Specifies that a student is eligible for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program if the student meets 1 or more of the following criteria (Sec. 17):
• The student qualifies for food assistance;
• The student is currently placed, or during the previous fiscal year was placed, in foster care or in out-of-home care; or
• The student’s household income level does not exceed 260 percent of the federal poverty level.

• Prohibits nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations from using contributions received for lobbying or political activity (Sec. 17). 

• Requires the Auditor General to conduct annual operational audits of the accounts and records of nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations receiving contributions to determine compliance with provisions relating to contributions (Sec. 15).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and adopt additional amendments to a bill that establishes the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program and expands the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

Highlights:

• Establishes the “Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program” that authorizes a parent of a student with a disability to request and receive an account in the Program and use the funds for certain purposes including, but not limited to, the following purposes (Sec. 16):
• Enrollment in, or tuition or fees associated with enrollment in, a private school;
• Applied behavioral analysis services;
• Services provided by physical therapists; and 
• Services provided by listening and spoken language specialists. 

• Authorizes a parent of a student with a disability to request an account if the student meets the following criteria (Sec. 16): 
• The student has a disability;
• The student is a resident of the state of California;
• The student is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school; and
• The student is the subject of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or has received a diagnosis of a disability from a physician or a psychologist. 

• Specifies that the following students are not eligible for the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program if he or she meets certain criteria including, but not limited to, the following criteria (Sec. 16):
• The student is enrolled in public school;
• The student is enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in the Department of Juvenile Justice commitment programs; or
• The student is receiving any educational scholarship, including from the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

• Specifies that a student is eligible for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program if the student meets 1 or more of the following criteria (Sec. 17):
• The student qualifies for food assistance;
• The student is currently placed, or during the previous fiscal year was placed, in foster care or in out-of-home care; or
• The student’s household income level does not exceed 260 percent of the federal poverty level.

• Prohibits nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations from using contributions received for lobbying or political activity (Sec. 17). 

• Requires the Auditor General to conduct annual operational audits of the accounts and records of nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations receiving contributions to determine compliance with provisions relating to contributions (Sec. 15).

Full Bill Text