This bill proposes several updates to the Arizona Revised Statutes concerning Arizona empowerment scholarship accounts. Key changes include the requirement for qualified students to withdraw from any school district or charter school before enrolling in an empowerment scholarship account, as well as the introduction of new compliance measures for qualified schools and service providers receiving scholarship funds. Specifically, the bill mandates that these entities must not share or rebate scholarship funds and must adhere to financial performance requirements, including regular audits and reporting to ensure transparency and accountability.

Additionally, the bill establishes a framework for periodic program reviews by the joint legislative audit committee, which will assess the effectiveness and necessity of the empowerment scholarship accounts program. This includes provisions for public hearings, performance audits by the auditor general, and requirements for schools to report on their financial practices. The updates aim to enhance oversight and ensure that the program meets its intended objectives while maintaining the integrity of the scholarship funds.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-2402, 15-2403, 15-2407, 41-1279.03, 15-766, 15-2401, 15-505, 15-534.04, 28-9551, 15-802, 15-185, 15-943, 35-190, 2020-2021, 35-113, 15-2401.01, 15-2404, 93-380, 15-914, 13-2310, 41-2954, 41-2952