The bill amends Florida Statutes concerning the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program by expanding the permissible uses of scholarship funds. It allows these funds to cover tuition and fees for home education instructional programs and customized instructional programs, while also introducing definitions for these terms. The bill outlines the requirements for these educational options, including the necessity for publicly available program descriptions. Additionally, it revises obligations for nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations, emphasizing background check requirements for owners and operators, the maintenance of separate scholarship accounts for each eligible student, and appropriate use of funds for educational expenses such as instructional materials and tutoring services.

Furthermore, the bill establishes new responsibilities for the Department of Education, mandating the submission of an annual list of eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations by March 15 and requiring annual verification of their eligibility. A notable insertion updates the reference for the requirements of these organizations from paragraph (2)(g) to (2)(h), indicating a change in the criteria for participation in the program. The act is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 1565 Filed: 402.302
H 1565 c1: 1002.394