House Bill 5101 amends various sections of Florida Statutes concerning education, with a particular focus on the Education Estimating Conference and the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. The bill mandates the Education Estimating Conference to forecast the number of full-time equivalent students eligible for funding and the number of scholarships funded by tax credit revenue. It requires governmental agencies to provide necessary data to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research and mandates nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations to submit specific information to the conference. Additionally, the bill revises the purpose of the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program to prioritize children from families with limited financial resources and introduces a definition for "fraud." It also outlines responsibilities for the Department of Education, scholarship organizations, and parents regarding student eligibility and funding disbursement, aiming to enhance accountability and transparency in educational funding.

The bill further introduces amendments to the management and distribution of scholarship funds, including stipulations for closing scholarship accounts under certain conditions and requiring parents to verify their child's non-attendance at public schools before approving payments. It establishes new obligations for the Department of Education, such as publishing updated scholarship program information and cross-checking data to prevent funding duplication. Additionally, the bill modifies the application and renewal processes for scholarships, emphasizing timely notifications and compliance from both parents and scholarship organizations. Overall, HB 5101 seeks to streamline the scholarship application process, enhance oversight, and ensure that educational funds are utilized effectively for their intended purposes.

Statutes affected:
H 5101 Filed: 216.136, 1002.421, 1008.386, 1010.305, 1011.61, 1011.622, 1011.65, 110.1228, 402.22, 1002.32, 1002.33, 1003.485, 1003.4935, 1003.498, 1008.44, 1011.68, 1012.44