The proposed bill seeks to amend several sections of the Arizona Revised Statutes related to Arizona empowerment scholarship accounts. Key updates include redefining the "annual education plan" to specify ongoing eligibility criteria for qualified students until they reach twenty-two years of age, and clarifying that students must withdraw from any school district or charter school before enrolling in an empowerment scholarship account. Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for teaching staff at qualified schools, mandating that they be fingerprinted, at least eighteen years old, and free from disciplinary actions for immoral or unprofessional conduct.

Furthermore, the bill enhances safety regulations for qualified schools, requiring compliance with fire and safety codes, securing heavy machinery, and maintaining enclosures around swimming pools. It also stipulates that the state board of education must adopt rules to promote financial transparency and ensure that funds from the scholarship accounts are used appropriately. Notably, the bill removes certain provisions regarding the burden of proof in legal challenges against qualified schools, thereby shifting the responsibility to the state to demonstrate the necessity of any imposed regulations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-2401, 15-2402, 15-2403, 15-2404, 36-2981, 15-1401, 15-731, 15-761, 15-763, 15-241, 8-862, 36-1941, 15-901, 43-1505, 15-766, 15-505, 15-534.04, 28-9551, 15-802, 15-185, 15-943, 35-190, 2020-2021, 35-113, 15-2401.01, 36-1681