Assembly Bill 496 proposes significant changes to the eligibility criteria for participation in the Milwaukee, Racine, and Wisconsin Parental Choice Programs. The bill repeals provisions that currently allow students to continue participating in these programs even if their family income exceeds the established limits, specifically 300% of the federal poverty level for Milwaukee and Racine programs, and 220% for the Wisconsin program. Instead, the bill mandates that if a pupil's family income increases beyond these thresholds, they will no longer be eligible to participate in the program.

Additionally, the bill amends the verification process for family income, requiring that it be verified annually through the Department of Revenue, regardless of whether the pupil attended a private school under a parental choice program in the previous year. This change aims to ensure consistent income verification for all participants. The bill's provisions will first apply to applications for the 2026-27 school year.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 118.60(2)(a)1.a, 118.60, 118.60(2)(bm), 119.23(2)(a)1.a, 119.23, 119.23(2)(a)1.d