House File 445 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 445 BY FETT A BILL FOR An Act modifying provisions related to application periods for 1 the education savings account program. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1837YH (8) 91 jda/jh
H.F. 445 Section 1. Section 257.11B, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2025, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 3. a. (1) On or after January 1, but on or before June 3 30, preceding the school year for which the education savings 4 account payment is requested, the parent or guardian of an 5 eligible pupil may request an education savings account payment 6 by submitting an application to the department of education. 7 (2) On or after December 1, but on or before December 20, 8 preceding the semester for which the education savings account 9 payment is requested, the parent or guardian of an eligible 10 pupil may request an education savings account payment by 11 submitting an application to the department of education. 12 b. Within thirty days following submission of an 13 application, the department of education or third-party entity 14 shall notify the parent or guardian of each pupil approved for 15 the following school year or semester and specify the amount of 16 the education savings account payment for the pupil, if known 17 at the time of the notice. As soon as practical following the 18 processing of all applications, the department of education or 19 third-party entity shall determine the number of pupils in each 20 school district approved for the school budget year and provide 21 such information to the department of management. 22 c. Education savings account payments shall only be 23 approved for one school year or one semester, as applicable, 24 and applications must be submitted annually for payments in 25 subsequent school years. 26 4. Each education savings account payment shall be equal to 27 the regular program state cost per pupil for the same school 28 budget year ; provided, however, that an education savings 29 account payment shall be equal to fifty percent of the regular 30 program state cost per pupil for the same school budget year if 31 the pupils parent or guardian submitted an application under 32 subsection 3, paragraph a , subparagraph (2) . 33 Sec. 2. Section 257.11B, subsection 6, paragraph a, Code 34 2025, is amended to read as follows: 35 -1- LSB 1837YH (8) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3
H.F. 445 a. For each pupil approved for an education savings account 1 payment, the department of education or third-party entity 2 shall establish an individual account for that pupil in the 3 education savings account fund. The If the pupils parent 4 or guardian submitted an application under subsection 3, 5 paragraph a , subparagraph (1), the amount of the pupils 6 education savings account payment shall be deposited into 7 the pupils individual account on July 15 or thirty days 8 following submission of the application, whichever is later, 9 and such amount shall be immediately available for the payment 10 of qualified educational expenses incurred by the parent or 11 guardian for the pupil during that fiscal year using a payment 12 method authorized under subsection 5 . If the pupils parent or 13 guardian submitted an application under subsection 3, paragraph 14 a , subparagraph (2), the amount of the pupils education 15 savings account payment shall be deposited into the pupils 16 individual account within thirty days following submission of 17 the application, and such amount shall be immediately available 18 for the payment of qualified educational expenses incurred by 19 the parent or guardian for the pupil during that fiscal year 20 using a payment method authorized under subsection 5. 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 This bill modifies provisions related to application periods 25 for the education savings account program. 26 The education savings account program is a program that 27 provides funds to pupils who attend nonpublic schools to 28 pay for qualified educational expenses, including but not 29 limited to tuition, tutoring or cognitive skill training fees, 30 educational therapy costs, software expenses, and expenses 31 related to course materials. Under current law, the parent 32 or guardian of a pupil is required to submit an application 33 for payment under the education savings account program to the 34 department of education on or after January 1, but on or before 35 -2- LSB 1837YH (8) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3
H.F. 445 June 30, preceding the school year for which the education 1 savings account payment is requested. The bill allows the 2 parent or guardian of a pupil to submit such an application on 3 or after December 1, but on or before December 20, preceding 4 the semester for which the education savings account payment 5 is requested. Additionally, under current law each education 6 savings account payment is equal to the regular program state 7 cost per pupil for the same school budget year. The bill 8 provides that, if the parent or guardian of a pupil submitted 9 such an application on or after December 1, but on or before 10 December 20, preceding the semester for which the education 11 savings account payment is requested, the education savings 12 account payment for such pupil is equal to 50 percent of the 13 regular program state cost per pupil for the same school budget 14 year. The bill makes conforming changes. 15 -3- LSB 1837YH (8) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3