Bill > HB1657

This bill establishes an Education Savings Account (ESA) program in Texas designed to provide financial support for certain eligible children to access alternative educational opportunities. Eligible children include those who attended public school in the previous year, are entering kindergarten or first grade, and meet specific criteria such as performing poorly on state assessments, having a disability, or being educationally disadvantaged. Parents of eligible children can apply for the program and will receive an annual payment equal to 90% of the state funding that would normally go to the child's local school district, with the district retaining 10% of those funds. Participants can use the account funds for expenses like private school tuition, textbooks, instructional materials, academic assessments, educational activities, transportation, and specialized educational therapies. The program emphasizes participant and provider autonomy, prohibiting government entities from imposing additional regulations or requiring changes to educational practices or values. The comptroller will administer the program, manage accounts, make quarterly payments, and can accept non-federal donations to support the initiative. The program is set to begin in the 2026-2027 school year, with implementation rules to be developed by the comptroller, and the bill takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Education

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1657