2023 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 204
BY SENATORS HEWITT, CORTEZ AND ROBERT MILLS AND REPRESENTATIVE
GAROFALO
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3047(B)(1), (C)(1)(a), (D), and (E)(1), 3047.2(A)(9),
3 3047.4(B) and (D)(3), 3047.6(A) and (B), and 3047.7(A)(2) and (B)(2), and to enact
4 R.S. 17:3047.1(G), and to repeal R.S. 17:3047.2(A)(12) and 3047.3(A)(9), relative
5 to the M.J. Foster Promise Program; to provide relative to program awards; to
6 provide relative to eligibility requirements; to provide relative to administration of
7 the program; to provide relative to coordination with other state agencies; to recodify
8 and redesignate certain current law provisions of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised
9 Statutes of 1950 without changing the text of the provisions except as provided
10 herein; and to provide for related matters.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. R.S. 17:3047(B)(1), (C)(1)(a), (D), and (E)(1), 3047.2(A)(9), 3047.4(B)
13 and (D)(3), 3047.6(A) and (B), and 3047.7(A)(2) and (B)(2) are hereby amended and
14 reenacted and R.S. 17:3047.1(G) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
15 §3047. M.J. Foster Promise Award; purpose; award amount; limitations
16 * * *
ACT No. 287
Page 1 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 204 ENROLLED
1 B.(1) Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, as As funds allow, an
2 award shall be provided to apply toward the tuition, and required fees, and
3 mandatory books and instructional materials of each eligible student who enrolls
4 in a qualified program as defined pursuant to R.S. 17:3047.1. The award shall be
5 known as the "M.J. Foster Promise Award", referred to in this Chapter as the
6 "award".
7 * * *
8 C.(1)(a) Award amounts shall not exceed three thousand two hundred dollars
9 per year for each award recipient enrolled full-time in a qualified program, or an
10 amount proportional to the hours in which the. The administering agency shall
11 determine the reduced award amount for any award recipient is enrolled if who
12 is enrolled less than full-time.
13 * * *
14 D. The award shall be applicable only to the cost of tuition and, required fees,
15 and mandatory books and instructional materials.
16 E.(1)(a) A student who is eligible for the award pursuant to this Chapter, and
17 who also qualifies for any other federal, state, or institutional financial aid or award,
18 may use the initial award payment only after before all other financial aid and
19 awards are applied and but only for any remaining the balance due for tuition, and
20 required fees, and mandatory books and instructional materials.
21 (b) After the initial payment, the student may use the award only after
22 any other federal, state, or institutional financial aid and awards are applied
23 and only for the balance due for tuition, required fees, and mandatory books
24 and instruction materials. For purposes of this Paragraph, federal financial aid
25 shall not include funding from student loans, work-study, or the Workforce
26 Innovation and Opportunity Act.
27 * * *
28 §3047.1. Advisory council; membership; responsibilities
29 * * *
30 §3047.6(A)(3) G. The working group advisory council shall: identify
Page 2 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 204 ENROLLED
1 (1) Identify federal and state programs, including childcare supplements and
2 other aid or services, that may provide additional support to award recipients to
3 further their postsecondary education.
4 §3047.6(A)(4) (2) The working group shall compile Compile a list of all
5 identified aid and services, provide a copy to the Board of Regents, and post the
6 listing on the website of the office of student financial assistance.
7 §3047.2. Initial eligibility
8 A. To be eligible for the award, an applicant shall meet the following
9 requirements:
10 * * *
11 (9) Have applied for federal student aid, unless the qualified program
12 chosen by the applicant does not qualify for federal student aid or if the
13 applicant demonstrates ineligibility for federal student aid to the administering
14 agency. The administering agency may provide by rule alternative methods to
15 determine financial need for students who are unable to complete an application
16 for federal student aid due to extenuating circumstances as defined by the
17 administering agency. If applicant meets all eligibility requirements except
18 filing the application for federal student aid, the applicant shall be eligible to
19 receive one award payment prior to completion of the federal student aid
20 application.
21 * * *
22 §3047.4. Funding
23 * * *
24 B. If the available funding is not sufficient to fully fund all eligible award
25 recipients, awards shall be provided first to eligible students in the order that
26 applications are received, with priority given to previous award recipients who have
27 met all requirements for maintaining the award and who are continuing in a qualified
28 program for which they previously received the award and then next to all eligible
29 students enrolled in a program as funds are available.
30 * * *
Page 3 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 204 ENROLLED
1 D. * * *
2 (3) The administering agency shall adopt regulations and guidelines for the
3 distribution and allocation of monies appropriated to the administering agency which
4 shall be initially subject to approval by the Joint Legislative Committee on the
5 Budget.
6 * * *
7 §3047.6. Coordination with other agencies
8 A.(1) The office of student financial assistance shall establish a working
9 group composed of an appointee from each of the following:
10 (a) The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
11 (b) The Louisiana Department of Health.
12 (c) The state Department of Education.
13 (d) The Louisiana Workforce Commission.
14 (e) The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs.
15 (f) The Louisiana Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
16 (g) The office of student financial assistance.
17 (h) The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
18 (2) The working group shall meet at least annually upon the call of the
19 executive director of the office of student financial assistance.
20 (3) and (4) [Redesignated to R.S. 17:3047.1(G)]
21 Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the administering agency
22 shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of
23 Children and Family Services and the Louisiana Department of Health to share
24 information relative to an individual's qualification for certain aid or
25 governmental benefits. Any information shared or furnished shall be held
26 confidential by the administering agency and shall be reported in the aggregate
27 only and contain no personally identifiable information.
28 B. Notwithstanding R.S. 47:1508 or any other law to the contrary, the
29 administering agency shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the
30 Department of Revenue and the Louisiana Workforce Commission to share
Page 4 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 204 ENROLLED
1 information relative to a taxpayer's reported income, residency, and employment
2 information for purposes of generating data related to the success of award recipients
3 in the workforce. Any information shared or furnished shall be held confidential by
4 the administering agency, and shall be reported in the aggregate only, and shall
5 contain no personally identifiable information.
6 * * *
7 §3047.7. Reporting system; implementation; requirements; applicability;
8 participation by eligible institutions
9 A. * * *
10 (2) The reporting system shall include data on all award recipients. The
11 number and percentage of students enrolled in each program shall be provided
12 and shall stipulate whether each program is a credit hour program or non-
13 credit hour program and include information on the number of credit hours
14 required for each credit hour program, the length of each non-credit hour
15 program, and the costs of each program.
16 * * *
17 B. The information reporting system shall include the following:
18 * * *
19 (2)(a) Demographic information of award recipients, including age, race,
20 gender, and household income.
21 (b) The number and percentage of recipients who were determined to be
22 participating in programs that do not qualify for federal student aid, as well as
23 the number and percentage of those determined ineligible for federal student
24 aid, and the number and percentage of those determined to be unable to
25 complete federal student financial aid applications due to extenuating
26 circumstances.
27 * * *
28 Section 2. R.S. 17:3047.2(A)(12) and 3047.3(A)(9) are hereby repealed.
29 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
30 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
Page 5 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 204 ENROLLED
1 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
2 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
3 effective on the day following such approval.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 6 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.