House Bill 5101 amends various sections of Florida law concerning education, with a particular focus on the Education Estimating Conference and the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. The bill requires 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 mandates that governmental agencies provide necessary data to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research and that nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations submit relevant information. 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 outlines responsibilities for the Department of Education and parents regarding scholarship applications and eligibility verification, while also establishing requirements for fund disbursement and fraud investigation.

The bill further enhances accountability and operational standards for nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations by requiring financial audits and quarterly reporting to the Department of Education. It introduces specific deadlines for scholarship acceptance and renewal, mandates that parents verify their child's non-attendance at public schools, and outlines the obligations of scholarship-funding organizations. Additionally, the bill modifies funding calculations for various educational programs, including adjustments to the Florida Education Finance Program and the funding structure for charter schools and dual enrollment initiatives. Overall, HB 5101 aims to improve the management, transparency, and efficiency of educational funding and scholarship programs in Florida.

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