House Bill No. by Representative Larvadain amends the M.J. Foster Promise Program's initial eligibility requirements, specifically focusing on age criteria for applicants. The bill establishes that to be initially eligible for the award, applicants must be at least twenty years old in the 2024-2025 award year, nineteen in the 2025-2026 award year, and twenty-one in the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 award years. Additionally, applicants must be at least eighteen years old in the 2028-2029 award year and seventeen years old in the 2029-2030 award year and thereafter. The bill also stipulates that recipients who qualify under the new age requirements will maintain their eligibility as long as they meet other program requirements.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that the administering agency of the M.J. Foster Promise Program submit a report to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education by January 1, 2028. This report will include data on the number of applicants and recipients, the average age of recipients, the fiscal impact of the new age requirements, potential cost savings, and recommendations regarding the future of these age requirements. The provisions of this Act will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
HB407 Original: 17:2(A)(1)
HB407 Engrossed: 17:2(A)(1)
HB407 Reengrossed: 17:2(A)(1)
HB407 Enrolled: 17:2(A)(1)