The bill amends the Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account Program by broadening the definition of "qualifying expenses" to include costs related to co-curricular courses in fine arts, music, and STEM fields, as well as transportation and extracurricular activities, with specified limits on fund allocation for these expenses. It also introduces new definitions such as "course," "completed student application," and "school year" to clarify the program's framework. Additionally, the bill modifies the fund disbursement process to allow for more flexible payment methods and establishes a timeline for application submissions, with new eligibility criteria set to take effect in the 2025-2026 school year.

Moreover, the bill expands student eligibility to include those from public schools rated D or F, as well as children of veterans, active-duty military, first responders, and law enforcement officers, starting in the 2024-2025 school year. It removes previous limitations on the number of participants, allowing any resident eligible for public school enrollment to join the program from the 2025-2026 school year. A new prioritization schedule for account applications is introduced, focusing on categories such as previous program participation and specific circumstances like disability or homelessness. The bill also outlines the responsibilities of the Department of Education and the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in administering the program, including criteria for barring service providers from receiving payments for non-compliance or fraudulent conduct, and includes a severability clause and an emergency clause for immediate implementation.

Statutes affected:
Old version SB625 V2 - 4-9-2025 09:06 PM: 6-18-2503(11), 6-18-2503, 6-18-2505(b), 6-18-2505, 6-18-2506, 6-18-202, 6-41-901, 6-20-2305, 04-09-2025, 6-18-2505(f), 6-15-2105, 6-15-2106, 6-15-2913, 6-15-2915, 6-18-2301, 6-18-201, 6-18-2507(a), 6-18-2507(e)
Old version SB625 V3 - 4-15-2025 09:22 AM: 6-18-2503(11), 6-18-2503, 6-18-2505(b), 6-18-2505, 6-18-2506, 6-18-202, 04-15-2025, 6-41-901, 6-20-2305, 6-18-2505(f), 6-15-2105, 6-15-2106, 6-15-2913, 6-15-2915, 6-18-2301, 6-18-201, 6-18-2507(a), 6-18-2507(e)
Old version SB625 Original - 4-3-2025 05:38 PM: 6-18-2503(11), 6-18-2503, 6-18-2505(b), 6-18-2505, 6-18-2506, 6-18-202, 6-41-901, 6-20-2305, 6-18-2505(f), 6-15-2105, 6-15-2106, 6-15-2913, 6-15-2915, 6-18-2301, 6-18-201, 6-18-2507(a), 6-18-2507(e)
SB 625: 6-18-2503(11), 6-18-2503, 6-18-2505(b), 6-18-2505, 6-18-2506, 6-18-202, 6-41-901, 6-20-2305, 6-18-2505(f), 6-15-2105, 6-15-2106, 6-15-2913, 6-15-2915, 6-18-2301, 6-18-201, 6-18-2507(a), 6-18-2507(e)
Act 920: 6-18-2503(11), 6-18-2503, 6-18-2505(b), 6-18-2505, 6-18-2506, 6-18-202, 04-15-2025, 6-41-901, 6-20-2305, 6-18-2505(f), 6-15-2105, 6-15-2106, 6-15-2913, 6-15-2915, 6-18-2301, 6-18-201, 6-18-2507(a), 6-18-2507(e)