Senate Bill No. 394, introduced by Senator Edmonds, amends the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program to allow parents to voluntarily sign a limited waiver of student privacy rights. This waiver is intended to streamline and expedite tuition payments for students enrolled full-time in BESE-approved nonpublic schools. The bill defines "participating nonpublic school" and outlines the conditions under which the Louisiana Department of Education can disclose limited student information to a program manager and participating schools for the purpose of administering the scholarship program. The information that may be disclosed includes the student's name, date of birth, grade level, parent contact information, and enrollment status.

The bill also establishes safeguards and consent requirements for the release of protected student information, ensuring that the information is used solely for scholarship administration and that there are penalties for unauthorized disclosure. The voluntary waiver remains effective for the duration of the student's participation in the LA GATOR program unless revoked by the parent. Overall, the legislation aims to facilitate timely tuition payments while maintaining certain privacy protections for students.

Statutes affected:
SB394 Original: 17:6(A)