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Bill > HF187


IA HF187

IA HF187
A bill for an act modifying provisions related to eligibility for payments under the education savings account program, and including effective date provisions.


summary

Introduced
01/30/2025
In Committee
01/30/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

91st General Assembly

Bill Summary

This bill modifies provisions related to eligibility for payments under the education savings account program. Under current law, for the school budget year beginning July 1, 2024, the following pupils who attend a nonpublic school are eligible to receive an education savings account payment under Code section 257.11B (education savings account program): a resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in kindergarten, a resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in grades 1 through 12 and was not enrolled in a nonpublic school for the school year immediately preceding the school year for which the education savings account payment is requested, a resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in grades 1 through 12 and was enrolled in a nonpublic school for the school year immediately preceding the school year for which the education savings account payment is requested if the pupil’s household has an annual income less than or equal to 400 percent of the most recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services, and a resident pupil who received an education savings account payment in the immediately preceding school budget year. Also under current law, for school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2025, the eligibility requirement related to the pupil’s household income is removed and resident pupils eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 who attend a nonpublic school for the applicable school budget year are eligible to receive an education savings account payment. The bill strikes this provision. The bill provides that the eligibility requirement related to the pupil’s household income applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2024. The bill takes effect upon enactment.

AI Summary

This bill modifies the eligibility requirements for the Education Savings Account (ESA) program in Iowa, which provides financial support for students attending nonpublic schools. Currently, the program has different eligibility rules for the school budget years starting in 2024 and 2025, with income-based restrictions for some students. The bill changes these rules by removing a provision that would have eliminated income-based restrictions starting in the 2025 school budget year, instead maintaining the household income limitation for all school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2024. Specifically, the bill keeps the requirement that for students in grades 1-12, only those from households with annual incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines will be eligible for ESA payments, alongside existing provisions for kindergarten students and students who received ESA payments in the previous year. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment, which means the changes to ESA eligibility will be implemented quickly, potentially impacting families' educational choices and financial planning for nonpublic school education.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (3)

Last Action

Introduced, referred to Education. H.J. 155. (on 01/30/2025)

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