The bill SB1557 proposes to amend Arizona Revised Statutes section 15-823 by removing the current limit on the number of nonresident foreign students with J-1 visas that school districts and charter schools can admit without tuition payment. Under the existing law, the number of J-1 visa students that can be admitted is restricted to the number of resident students participating in foreign exchange programs. The new bill allows for an unlimited number of J-1 visa students to be admitted starting in the 2024-2025 school year.

Additionally, the bill enables school districts and charter schools to include all admitted J-1 visa students in their student count for state funding purposes, which is a significant change from the current law. This change is expected to increase Basic State Aid costs to the state General Fund beginning in FY 2025, depending on the number of J-1 visa students enrolled.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-823