Bill > HB1324

This bill modifies the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program by expanding definitions and eligibility criteria. The bill updates the definition of a "qualified school" to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in addition to existing protections against racial and national origin discrimination. It defines a "qualified student" as an elementary or secondary student who either has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or comes from a household with income up to 300% of the free and reduced lunch income standard, with additional qualifying conditions such as previously attending public school or being a sibling of a scholarship recipient. The bill ensures that students who leave their resident school district for a scholarship can still be counted in their original district's attendance calculations for funding purposes, maintaining financial support for five years or until certain conditions are met. The legislation also stipulates that participating private schools are not considered government agents and protects their ability to maintain their educational approach while preventing discriminatory practices. Importantly, in any legal challenges to the program, the state would bear the burden of proving the law's necessity and lack of undue burden on qualified schools.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1324&year=2025&code=R