The bill amends the Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account Program by broadening the definition of "qualifying expenses" to include a wider array of educational costs. New qualifying expenses now cover reasonable costs for co-curricular courses in fine arts, music, or STEM fields offered by public school districts, as well as transportation costs and fees for extracurricular activities. Additionally, the bill introduces new definitions such as "course," "completed student application," "home school," and "school year" to clarify the program's parameters. It also modifies eligibility criteria, requiring students to meet specific residency and enrollment requirements starting in the 2025-2026 school year, and outlines the application submission process while ensuring that changes in a student's school status do not lead to increased funding.

Moreover, the bill removes previous limitations on student participation, specifically the cap that allowed only three percent of total public school student enrollment to participate, thus enabling any resident eligible for public elementary or secondary school enrollment to join the program. A new priority system for funding applications is established, prioritizing students who participated in the previous year, students with disabilities, and those from low-performing schools. The bill also updates the responsibilities of the Department of Education and the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in administering the program, including oversight of service providers and criteria for barring payments to those who do not meet eligibility standards or engage in fraudulent conduct. It concludes with a severability clause and an emergency clause, emphasizing the immediate need for these educational provisions in Arkansas.

Statutes affected:
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)