The proposed bill amends existing Arizona law regarding empowerment scholarship accounts by clarifying the rights and responsibilities of qualified schools and parents. It allows for the filing of written complaints by parents or qualified students to the state board of education if they believe a qualified school has violated the provisions of the article. The bill mandates that the state board investigate these complaints and, if a violation is found, notify the school and provide instructions for remedying the issue. If the school fails to correct the violation within sixty days, it must reimburse the department for all scholarship account funds received in the previous school year and cannot charge tuition or fees to affected students to recover those funds.

Additionally, the bill introduces a requirement for qualified schools to inform parents in writing about the specific special education services and educational therapies available to prospective students before any tuition payments are made from an Arizona empowerment scholarship account. This notification is only required for the initial enrollment, not for subsequent years. The bill also establishes that the state board of education will create rules and procedures for investigating complaints and that actions taken under this section can be appealed. Overall, the new bill enhances accountability and transparency for qualified schools participating in the empowerment scholarship program.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-2404, 15-2406, 15-2401