The proposed bill amends several sections of the Arizona Revised Statutes related to Arizona empowerment scholarship accounts. Key updates include the requirement for qualified students to withdraw from any school district or charter school before enrolling in an empowerment scholarship account, ensuring that no funds are received from the school prior to withdrawal. Additionally, the bill mandates that individuals providing tutoring or teaching services must not be subject to disciplinary action by the state board of education, and it requires the department to remove any such individuals from platforms used for purchasing educational services with account funds.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new requirements for qualified schools and service providers receiving funds from empowerment scholarship accounts. These include prohibitions against sharing or rebating account monies, compliance with financial reporting requirements, and the establishment of a financial transparency portal. The state board of education is also tasked with developing minimum financial performance standards for qualified schools and conducting audits to monitor the use of scholarship funds. The bill emphasizes accountability by requiring schools to report on their financial performance and to post audit findings prominently on their websites.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-2402, 15-2403, 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