Missouri 2025 2025 Regular Session

Missouri House Bill HB1221 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/06/2025

                    FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.1221
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVESMITH(68).
2664H.01I	JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection166.705,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereofonenewsectionrelatingtothe
useofmoneysinMissouriempowermentscholarshipaccounts.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section166.705,RSMo,isrepealedandonenewsectionenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassection166.705,toreadasfollows:
166.705.1.AparentofaqualifiedstudentmayestablishaMissouriempowerment
2scholarshipaccountforthestudentbyenteringintoawrittenagreementwithaneducational
3assistanceorganization.Theagreementshallprovidethat:
4 (1)Thequalifiedstudentshallenrollinaqualifiedschoolandreceiveaneducationin
5atleastthesubjectsofEnglishlanguagearts,mathematics,socialstudies,andscience;
6 (2)Exceptforaqualifiedstudentwhoisinthecustodyofthestate,thequalified
7studentshallnotbeenrolledinapublicschooloperatedby,oracharterschoollocatedwithin,
8thequalifiedstudent'sdistrictofresidenceandshallreleasethedistrictofresidencefromall
9obligationstoeducatethequalifiedstudentwhilethequalifiedstudentisenrolledinthe
10program.Thissubdivisionshallnotbeconstruedtorelievethestudent'sdistrictofresidence
11fromtheobligationtoconductanevaluationfordisabilities;
12 (3)Thequalifiedstudentshallreceiveagrant,intheformofmoneysdepositedin
13accordancewithsection135.714,inthequalifiedstudent'sMissouriempowerment
14scholarshipaccount;
15 (4)Themoneysdepositedinthequalifiedstudent'sMissouriempowerment
16scholarshipaccountshallbeusedonlyforthefollowingexpensesofthequalifiedstudent:
17 (a)Tuitionorfeesataqualifiedschool;
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 18 (b)Textbooksrequiredbyaqualifiedschool;
19 (c)Educationaltherapiesorservicesfromalicensedoraccreditedpractitioneror
20providerincluding,butnotlimitedto,licensedoraccreditedparaprofessionalsoreducational
21aides;
22 (d)Tutoringservices;
23 (e)Curriculum;
24 (f)Tuitionorfeesforaprivatevirtualschool;
25 (g)Feesforanationallystandardizednorm-referencedachievementtest,advanced
26placementexaminations,internationalbaccalaureateexaminations,oranyexaminations
27relatedtocollegeoruniversityadmission;
28 (h)FeesformanagementoftheMissouriempowermentscholarshipaccountbyfirms
29selectedbytheeducationalassistanceorganization;
30 (i)Servicesprovidedbyapublicschoolincluding,butnotlimitedto,individual
31classesandextracurricularprograms;
32 (j)Computerhardwareorothertechnologicaldevicesthatareusedtohelpmeetthe
33qualifiedstudent'seducationalneedsandthatareapprovedbyaneducationalassistance
34organization;
35 (k)Feesforsummereducationprogramsandspecializedafter-schooleducation
36programs;
37 (l)Transportationcostsformileagetoandfromaqualifiedschool;and
38 (m)Reimbursingaqualifiedstudentforuptoonethousanddollarsofcostsand
39feesincurredfordrivereducationinstruction,training,andtesting;and
40 (5)Moneysdepositedinthequalifiedstudent'sMissouriempowermentscholarship
41accountshallnotbeusedforthefollowing:
42 (a)Consumableeducationalsuppliesincluding,butnotlimitedto,paper,pens,
43pencils,ormarkers;
44 (b)TuitionataprivateschoollocatedoutsideofthestateofMissouri;and
45 (c)Paymentsorreimbursementstoanypersonrelatedwithinthethirddegreeof
46consanguinityoraffinitytoaqualifiedstudent.
47 2.Missouriempowermentscholarshipaccountsarerenewableonanannualbasis
48uponrequestoftheparentofaqualifiedstudent.Notwithstandinganychangestothe
49qualifiedstudent'smultidisciplinaryevaluationteamplan,astudentwhohaspreviously
50qualifiedforaMissouriempowermentscholarshipaccountshallremaineligibletoapplyfor
51renewaluntilthestudentcompleteshighschoolandsubmitsscorestothestatetreasurerfrom
52anationallystandardizednorm-referencedachievementtest,advancedplacement
53examination,internationalbaccalaureateexamination,oranyexaminationrelatedtocollege
54oruniversityadmissionpurchasedwithMissouriempowermentscholarshipaccountfunds.
HB1221	2 55 3.Asignedagreementunderthissectionshallsatisfythecompulsoryschool
56attendancerequirementsofsection167.031.
57 4.Aqualifiedschooloraproviderofservicespurchasedunderthissectionshallnot
58share,refund,orrebateanyMissouriempowermentscholarshipaccountmoneyswiththe
59parentorqualifiedstudentinanymanner.
60 5.Ifaqualifiedstudentwithdrawsfromtheprogrambyenrollinginaschoolother
61thanaqualifiedschoolorisdisqualifiedfromtheprogramundertheprovisionsofsection
62166.710,thequalifiedstudent'sMissouriempowermentscholarshipaccountshallbeclosed
63andanyremainingfundsshallbereturnedtotheeducationalassistanceorganizationfor
64redistributiontootherqualifiedstudents.Undersuchcircumstances,theobligationtoprovide
65aneducationforsuchstudentshalltransferbacktothestudent'sdistrictofresidence.
66 6.Anyfundsremaininginaqualifiedstudent'sMissouriempowermentscholarship
67accountattheendofaschoolyearshallremainintheaccountandshallnotbereturnedtothe
68educationalassistanceorganization.Anyfundsremaininginaqualifiedstudent'sMissouri
69empowermentscholarshipaccountupongraduationfromaqualifiedschoolshallbereturned
70totheeducationalassistanceorganizationforredistributiontootherqualifiedstudents.
71 7.Moneysreceivedundersections166.700to166.720shallnotconstituteMissouri
72taxableincometotheparentofthequalifiedstudent.
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HB1221	3