103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3672

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Chris Miller

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Education Savings Account Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall develop and implement an education savings account program for eligible pupils. Provides that education savings account payments shall be made available to parents and guardians in the manner authorized under for the payment of qualified educational expenses as provided in this Act. Provides that parents and guardians shall first use education savings account payments for all qualified educational expenses that are tuition and fees for which the parent or guardian is responsible for payment at the pupil's nonpublic school prior to using the education savings account for other qualified educational expenses. Sets forth provisions regarding program eligibility, application requirements, disbursement of funds, testing requirements, and rulemaking. Effective July 1, 2023.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB3672LRB103 28627 RJT 55008 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Education Savings Account Act.
 
6    Section 5. Education savings account program.
7    (a) In this Act:
8    "Qualified educational expenses" includes tuition and fees
9at a nonpublic school, textbooks, fees or payments for
10educational therapies, including tutoring or cognitive skills
11training, curriculum fees, software, and materials for a
12course of study for a specific subject matter or grade level,
13tuition or fees for nonpublic online education programs,
14tuition for vocational and life skills education approved by
15the State Board of Education, education materials and services
16for pupils with disabilities from an accredited provider,
17including the cost of paraprofessionals and assistants who are
18trained in accordance with State law, standardized test fees,
19and advanced placement examinations or examinations related to
20postsecondary education admission or credentialing.
21    "Qualified educational expenses" are limited to the items
22described in subsection (c) and rules adopted by the State
23Board of Education to implement this Section and does not

 

 

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1include transportation costs for the pupil, the cost of food
2or refreshments consumed by the pupil, the cost of clothing
3for the pupil, or the cost of disposable materials, including
4but not limited to paper, notebooks, pencils, pens, and art
5supplies.
6    (b) The education savings account program is created.
7Subject to appropriations, the State Board of Education shall
8develop and implement the education savings account program
9for eligible pupils. Education savings account payments shall
10be made available to parents and guardians in the manner
11authorized under subsections (c), (d), and (e) for the payment
12of qualified educational expenses as provided in this Act.
13Parents and guardians shall first use education savings
14account payments for all qualified educational expenses that
15are tuition and fees for which the parent or guardian is
16responsible for payment at the pupil's nonpublic school prior
17to using the education savings account for other qualified
18educational expenses.
19    (c) Subject to appropriations, for the school budget year
20beginning July 1, 2023, the following pupils who attend a
21nonpublic school for that school budget year shall be eligible
22to receive an education savings account payment:
23        (1) A resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in
24    kindergarten.
25        (2) A resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in
26    grades 1 through 12 and was not enrolled in a nonpublic

 

 

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1    school for the school year immediately preceding the
2    school year for which the education savings account
3    payment is requested.
4        (3) A resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in
5    grades 1 through 12 and was enrolled in a nonpublic school
6    year immediately preceding the school year for which the
7    education savings account payment is requested if the
8    pupil's household has an annual income less than or equal
9    to 300% of the most recently revised poverty income
10    guidelines published by the United States department of
11    health and human services.
12    (d) Subject to appropriations, for the school budget year
13beginning July 1, 2024, the following pupils who attend a
14nonpublic school for that school budget year shall be eligible
15to receive an education savings account payment:
16        (1) A resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in
17    kindergarten.
18        (2) A resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in
19    grades 1 through 12 and was not enrolled in a nonpublic
20    school for the school year immediately preceding the
21    school year for which the education savings account
22    payment is requested.
23        (3) A resident pupil who is eligible to enroll in
24    grades 1 through 12 and was enrolled in a nonpublic school
25    for the school year immediately preceding the school year
26    for which the education savings account payment is

 

 

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1    requested if the pupil's household has an annual income
2    less than or equal to 400% of the most recently revised
3    poverty income guidelines published by the United States
4    department of health and human services.
5        (4) A resident pupil who received an education savings
6    account payment in the immediately preceding school budget
7    year.
8    (e) Subject to appropriations, for school budget years
9beginning on or after July 1, 2025, resident pupils eligible
10to enroll in kindergarten through 12 who attend a nonpublic
11school for the applicable school budget year are eligible to
12receive an education savings account payment.
13    (f) On or after January 1, but on or before June 30,
14preceding the school year for which the education savings
15account payment is requested, the parent or guardian of an
16eligible pupil may request an education savings account
17payment by submitting an application to the State Board of
18Education.
19    Within 30 days following submission of an application, the
20State Board of Education or third-party entity shall notify
21the parent or guardian of each pupil approved for the
22following school year and specify the amount of the education
23savings account payment for the pupil, if known at the time of
24the notice. As soon as practical following the processing of
25all applications, the State Board of Education or third-party
26entity shall determine the number of pupils in each school

 

 

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1district approved for the school budget year.
2    (g) Education savings account payments shall only be
3approved for one school year and applications must be
4submitted annually for payments in subsequent school years.
5    (h) For each pupil approved for an education savings
6account payment, the State Board of Education or third-party
7entity shall establish an individual account for that pupil in
8the education savings account fund. The amount of the pupil's
9education savings account payment shall be deposited into the
10pupil's individual account on July 15 or 30 days following
11submission of the application, whichever is later, and such
12amount shall be immediately available for the payment of
13qualified educational expenses incurred by the parent or
14guardian for the pupil during that fiscal year using a payment
15method authorized by the State Board of Education.
16    (i) A nonpublic school or other provider of qualified
17educational expenses that accepts payment from a parent or
18guardian using funds from a pupil's individual account in the
19fund shall not refund, rebate, or share any portion of the
20payment with the parent, guardian, or pupil.
21    (j) Moneys remaining in a pupil's individual account upon
22conclusion of the fiscal year shall remain in the pupil's
23individual account for the payment of qualified educational
24expenses in future fiscal years during which the pupil
25participates in the program until the pupil becomes ineligible
26under the program or until the remaining amounts are

 

 

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1transferred to the state general fund under subsection (k).
2    (k) Moneys remaining in a pupil's individual account when
3the pupil graduates from high school or turns 20 years of age,
4whichever occurs first, shall be transferred by the State
5Board of Education for deposit in the General Revenue Fund.
6    (l) Each pupil participating in the education savings
7account program is required to take all applicable State and
8federally required student assessments and the results of
9those assessments shall be provided to the pupil's parents or
10guardians and reported to the State Board of Education.
11    (m) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules as
12necessary to implement this Act.
 
13    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
142023.