House Bill No. by Representative Freiberg amends R.S. 17:3914(C)(3) to require the Louisiana Department of Education to assign unique student identification numbers to children enrolled in certain early childhood education programs. The bill specifies that these identification numbers will not include or be based on social security numbers and will be retained by the student throughout their time in early childhood programs and public elementary and secondary schools. The Department of Education is mandated to assign these numbers to every child participating in publicly funded prekindergarten programs and may also assign them to children in non-publicly funded programs with parental consent.

Additionally, the bill modifies the timeline for the implementation of this system, establishing that it must be in place by August 1, 2027. The local public school boards are also required to assign student identification numbers to every student enrolled in public schools unless the student already has a number from an early childhood program. This legislation aims to streamline the identification process for students in early education settings and ensure consistent tracking throughout their educational journey.

Statutes affected:
HB992 Original: 17:3914(C)(3)