| 10 | | - | for purposes of verifying income as compared to income thresholds; to clarify and revise6 |
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| 11 | | - | student qualifications for promise scholarship accounts; to provide for related matters; to7 |
|---|
| 12 | | - | provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 |
|---|
| 13 | | - | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 |
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| 14 | | - | SECTION 1.10 |
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| 15 | | - | Chapter 2B of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to promise11 |
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| 16 | | - | scholarship accounts, is amended in Code Section 20-2B-5, relating to powers of the12 |
|---|
| 17 | | - | education savings authority, by revising subsection (b) and by adding two new subsections13 |
|---|
| 18 | | - | to read as follows:14 |
|---|
| 19 | | - | S. B. 152 (SUB) |
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| 20 | | - | - 1 - 25 LC 49 2402S |
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| 21 | | - | "(b) Pursuant Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, pursuant to Code15 |
|---|
| 22 | | - | Section 50-18-70, the education savings authority shall not disclose and shall keep16 |
|---|
| 23 | | - | confidential, in each case unless identifying information has been redacted:17 |
|---|
| 24 | | - | (1) Records that include information identifying a student or former student by name,18 |
|---|
| 25 | | - | address except for ZIP Code, telephone number, or emergency contact; and19 |
|---|
| 26 | | - | (2) Records that reveal an individual's social security number, mother's birth name, credit20 |
|---|
| 27 | | - | card information, debit card information, bank account information, account number,21 |
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| 28 | | - | utility account number, password used to access his or her account, financial data or22 |
|---|
| 29 | | - | information, insurance or medical information in all records, unlisted telephone number23 |
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| 30 | | - | if so designated in a public record, personal email address or cellular telephone number,24 |
|---|
| 31 | | - | or month and day of birth."25 |
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| 32 | | - | "(d) As necessary to enforce the provisions of this chapter, the education savings authority26 |
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| 33 | | - | or its duly authorized agents may submit to the state revenue commissioner the names of27 |
|---|
| 34 | | - | applicants for promise scholarship accounts or account funds or other benefits or payments28 |
|---|
| 35 | | - | provided under this chapter, as well as the relevant income threshold specified therein. If29 |
|---|
| 36 | | - | the education savings authority elects to contract with the state revenue commissioner for30 |
|---|
| 37 | | - | such purposes, the state revenue commissioner and his or her agents or employees shall31 |
|---|
| 38 | | - | notify the education savings authority whether each submitted applicant's income exceeds32 |
|---|
| 39 | | - | the relevant income threshold provided. The education savings authority shall pay the state33 |
|---|
| 40 | | - | revenue commissioner for all costs incurred by the Department of Revenue pursuant to this34 |
|---|
| 41 | | - | subsection. No information shall be provided by the Department of Revenue to the35 |
|---|
| 42 | | - | education savings authority without an executed cooperative agreement between the two36 |
|---|
| 43 | | - | entities. Any tax information secured from the federal government by the Department of37 |
|---|
| 44 | | - | Revenue pursuant to express provisions of Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code may38 |
|---|
| 45 | | - | not be disclosed by the Department of Revenue pursuant to this subsection. Any person39 |
|---|
| 46 | | - | receiving any tax information under the authority of this subsection is subject to the40 |
|---|
| 47 | | - | S. B. 152 (SUB) |
|---|
| 48 | | - | - 2 - 25 LC 49 2402S |
|---|
| 49 | | - | provisions of Code Section 48-7-60 and to all penalties provided under Code41 |
|---|
| 50 | | - | Section 48-7-61 for unlawful divulging of confidential tax information.42 |
|---|
| 51 | | - | (e) As necessary to enforce the provisions of the chapter, the education savings authority43 |
|---|
| 52 | | - | or its duly authorized agents may submit to the Department of Human Services the names44 |
|---|
| 53 | | - | of foster parents provided by applicants seeking promise scholarships accounts pursuant45 |
|---|
| 54 | | - | to Code Section 20-2B-22.1. The Department of Human Services shall, upon receipt of46 |
|---|
| 55 | | - | such names, provide verification to the education savings authority or its duly authorized47 |
|---|
| 56 | | - | agents as to whether such individuals are foster parents as such term is defined in Code48 |
|---|
| 57 | | - | Section 20-2B-22.1."49 |
|---|
| 58 | | - | SECTION 2.50 |
|---|
| 59 | | - | Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2B-22, relating to participating student51 |
|---|
| 60 | | - | qualifications, continued eligibility of participating students to receive funds subject to52 |
|---|
| 61 | | - | conditions, requirements for parents of participating students, and forfeiture of account funds,53 |
|---|
| 62 | | - | by revising paragraph (3) and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (5) of subsection (a) as follows:54 |
|---|
| 63 | | - | "(3) The student resides in the attendance zone of Based on his or her primary residence,55 |
|---|
| 64 | | - | the student is currently enrolled in, or will be eligible to be enrolled for the following56 |
|---|
| 65 | | - | school year in, a public school that is included on the list of public schools provided for57 |
|---|
| 66 | | - | in Code Section 20-2B-29 or a qualified kindergarten program of such school;"58 |
|---|
| 67 | | - | "(B) In the event that the amount of funds appropriated for the program exceeds the59 |
|---|
| 68 | | - | amount of funds necessary to include all students who meet the family income60 |
|---|
| 69 | | - | requirement provided for in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and the student:61 |
|---|
| 70 | | - | (i) Is already a participating student; or and62 |
|---|
| 71 | | - | (ii) Timely submitted an application for an account to the education savings authority63 |
|---|
| 72 | | - | by either of the two quarterly application deadlines immediately preceding July 1 as64 |
|---|
| 73 | | - | provided for in paragraph (9) of this subsection,65 |
|---|
| 74 | | - | S. B. 152 (SUB) |
|---|
| 75 | | - | - 3 - 25 LC 49 2402S |
|---|
| 76 | | - | the student's family income exceeds 400 percent of the federal poverty level as defined66 |
|---|
| 77 | | - | annually by the federal Office of Management and Budget; provided, however, that from67 |
|---|
| 78 | | - | among students provided for in this subparagraph, students who previously participated68 |
|---|
| 79 | | - | in the program shall be prioritized;"69 |
|---|
| 80 | | - | SECTION 3.70 |
|---|
| 81 | | - | Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:71 |
|---|
| 82 | | - | "20-2B-22.1.72 |
|---|
| 83 | | - | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:73 |
|---|
| 84 | | - | (1) 'Biological or adopted child' means a child who is the biological issue of an74 |
|---|
| 85 | | - | individual or who has been adopted by an individual pursuant to a decree of adoption by75 |
|---|
| 86 | | - | a court of this state or by a court of any other jurisdiction.76 |
|---|
| 87 | | - | (2) 'Foster parent' means an individual who maintains an approved and open foster care77 |
|---|
| 88 | | - | home which is utilized by a child-placing agency pursuant to Chapter 5 of Title 49 or78 |
|---|
| 89 | | - | approved and directly supervised by the Department of Human Services.79 |
|---|
| 90 | | - | (b) Notwithstanding any provision of Code Section 20-2B-22 to the contrary, each student80 |
|---|
| 91 | | - | who has reached the age of four years but has not reached the age of 20 years, who is the81 |
|---|
| 92 | | - | biological or adopted child of an individual who is a foster parent, and who meets the82 |
|---|
| 93 | | - | requirements of paragraphs (1), (4), (6), (7), (8), and (9) of subsection (a) of Code Section83 |
|---|
| 94 | | - | 20-2B-22 shall qualify for a promise scholarship account under this article."84 |
|---|
| 95 | | - | SECTION 4.85 |
|---|
| 96 | | - | This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.86 |
|---|
| 97 | | - | SECTION 5.87 |
|---|
| 98 | | - | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.88 |
|---|
| 99 | | - | S. B. 152 (SUB) |
|---|
| 100 | | - | - 4 - |
|---|
| 14 | + | for purposes of verifying income as compared to income thresholds; to provide for related6 |
|---|
| 15 | + | matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 |
|---|
| 16 | + | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
|---|
| 17 | + | SECTION 1.9 |
|---|
| 18 | + | Chapter 2B of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to promise10 |
|---|
| 19 | + | scholarship accounts, is amended in Code Section 20-2B-5, relating to powers of the11 |
|---|
| 20 | + | education savings authority, by revising subsection (b) and by adding a new subsection to12 |
|---|
| 21 | + | read as follows:13 |
|---|
| 22 | + | "(b) Pursuant |
|---|
| 23 | + | Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, pursuant to Code14 |
|---|
| 24 | + | Section 50-18-70, the education savings authority shall not disclose and shall keep15 |
|---|
| 25 | + | confidential, in each case unless identifying information has been redacted:16 |
|---|
| 26 | + | S. B. 152 |
|---|
| 27 | + | - 1 - 25 LC 49 2264S (SCS) |
|---|
| 28 | + | (1) Records that include information identifying a student or former student by name, |
|---|
| 29 | + | 17 |
|---|
| 30 | + | address except for ZIP Code, telephone number, or emergency contact; and18 |
|---|
| 31 | + | (2) Records that reveal an individual's social security number, mother's birth name, credit19 |
|---|
| 32 | + | card information, debit card information, bank account information, account number,20 |
|---|
| 33 | + | utility account number, password used to access his or her account, financial data or21 |
|---|
| 34 | + | information, insurance or medical information in all records, unlisted telephone number22 |
|---|
| 35 | + | if so designated in a public record, personal email address or cellular telephone number,23 |
|---|
| 36 | + | or month and day of birth."24 |
|---|
| 37 | + | "(d) As necessary to enforce the provisions of this chapter, the education savings authority |
|---|
| 38 | + | 25 |
|---|
| 39 | + | or its duly authorized agents may submit to the state revenue commissioner the names of26 |
|---|
| 40 | + | applicants for promise scholarship accounts or account funds or other benefits or payments27 |
|---|
| 41 | + | provided under this chapter, as well as the relevant income threshold specified therein. If28 |
|---|
| 42 | + | the education savings authority elects to contract with the state revenue commissioner for29 |
|---|
| 43 | + | such purposes, the state revenue commissioner and his or her agents or employees shall30 |
|---|
| 44 | + | notify the education savings authority whether each submitted applicant's income exceeds31 |
|---|
| 45 | + | the relevant income threshold provided. The education savings authority shall pay the state32 |
|---|
| 46 | + | revenue commissioner for all costs incurred by the Department of Revenue pursuant to this33 |
|---|
| 47 | + | subsection. No information shall be provided by the Department of Revenue to the34 |
|---|
| 48 | + | education savings authority without an executed cooperative agreement between the two35 |
|---|
| 49 | + | entities. Any tax information secured from the federal government by the Department of36 |
|---|
| 50 | + | Revenue pursuant to express provisions of Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code may37 |
|---|
| 51 | + | not be disclosed by the Department of Revenue pursuant to this subsection. Any person38 |
|---|
| 52 | + | receiving any tax information under the authority of this subsection is subject to the39 |
|---|
| 53 | + | provisions of Code Section 48-7-60 and to all penalties provided under Code Section40 |
|---|
| 54 | + | 48-7-61 for unlawful divulging of confidential tax information."41 |
|---|
| 55 | + | S. B. 152 |
|---|
| 56 | + | - 2 - 25 LC 49 2264S (SCS) |
|---|
| 57 | + | SECTION 2. |
|---|
| 58 | + | 42 |
|---|
| 59 | + | Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:43 |
|---|
| 60 | + | "20-2B-22.1. |
|---|
| 61 | + | 44 |
|---|
| 62 | + | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:45 |
|---|
| 63 | + | (1) 'Biological or adopted child' means a child who is the biological issue of an46 |
|---|
| 64 | + | individual or who has been adopted by an individual pursuant to a decree of adoption by47 |
|---|
| 65 | + | a court of this state or by a court of any other jurisdiction.48 |
|---|
| 66 | + | (2) 'Foster parent' means an individual who currently provides or, at any time during the49 |
|---|
| 67 | + | preceding ten years, has provided care, lodging, supervision, and maintenance for one or50 |
|---|
| 68 | + | more children in a foster care home used by an agency licensed as a child-placing agency51 |
|---|
| 69 | + | pursuant to Chapter 5 of Title 49 or in a foster care home approved and directly52 |
|---|
| 70 | + | supervised by the Department of Human Services.53 |
|---|
| 71 | + | (b) Notwithstanding any provision of Code Section 20-2B-22 to the contrary, each student54 |
|---|
| 72 | + | who has reached the age of four years but has not reached the age of 20 years, who is the55 |
|---|
| 73 | + | biological or adopted child of an individual who is a foster parent, and who meets the56 |
|---|
| 74 | + | requirements of paragraphs (1), (4), (6), (7), (8), and (9) of subsection (a) of Code Section57 |
|---|
| 75 | + | 20-2B-22 shall qualify for a promise scholarship account under this article."58 |
|---|
| 76 | + | SECTION 3.59 |
|---|
| 77 | + | This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.60 |
|---|
| 78 | + | SECTION 4.61 |
|---|
| 79 | + | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.62 |
|---|
| 80 | + | S. B. 152 |
|---|
| 81 | + | - 3 - |
|---|