Bill > HB519

This bill modifies the definition of a "qualified student" for the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program by making two significant changes. First, it corrects a terminology detail by changing "individualized education plan" to "individualized education program" (IEP), which aligns with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) terminology. Second, and more substantively, the bill removes several previous qualifying conditions for students from households with income up to 300% of the free and reduced lunch income standard. Previously, students needed to have attended public school for at least one semester, be eligible to start kindergarten or first grade, or be a sibling of a previous scholarship recipient. Now, the bill simplifies the definition to just two core qualifications: students with an approved IEP or students from households meeting the income threshold, without the additional prior restrictions. This change appears to potentially expand eligibility for the scholarship program by removing the previous more narrow qualifying criteria.

Education

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB519&year=2025&code=R