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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
ESAs; grant recipients; qualified students
Purpose
An emergency measure that extends eligibility for an Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA), beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, to any student who receives a COVID-19 Education Recovery Benefit (ERB) or Open for Learning Recovery Benefit (OFLRB) grant by June 30, 2022.
Background
A student with an ESA account may use ESA monies for permissible expenses
including: 1) qualifying tuition or fees; 2) textbooks, curricula and
supplementary materials; and
3) outlined goods and services. A qualified student for an ESA account
includes a: 1) child with a disability; 2) student attending a D or F
school or school district; 3) previous ESA and Arizona Scholarships for Pupils
with Disabilities Program recipient; 4) child of a parent in the U.S. Armed
Forces who is on active duty or was killed in the line of duty; 5) child who is
or was a ward of the court with a permanent guardian or prospective permanent
guardian; 6) sibling of a current or previous ESA recipient; 7) resident of an
Indian reservation in Arizona; and 8) child of a parent who is legally blind,
deaf or hard of hearing (A.R.S.
§ 15-2401).
The Governor-established ERB and OFLRB programs provide up to $7,000 for childcare, transportation, online tutoring and tuition for certain students with a household income at or below 350 percent of the federal poverty level. To be eligible for the ERB, the student or family must demonstrate that the student's current school requires the use of a face covering during instruction hours and on school property. To be eligible for the OFLRB, the student or family must demonstrate that the current school or classroom has closed in-person instruction for at least one day beginning January 3, 2022 (ERB Grant Aid and OFLRB Grant Aid).
An ESA is funded at 90 percent of the Base Support Level and additional assistance that a student would have been allocated if the student was attending a school district or charter school. If expanding eligibility for the ESA Program results in a change in ESA funding costs, there may be a fiscal impact to the state General Fund.
Provisions
1. Deems, to be eligible for an ESA beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, any student who received a grant by June 30, 2022, under the ERB Program or OFLRB Program.
2. Becomes effective on signature of the Governor, if the emergency clause is enacted.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 4, 2022
LB/slp