Rep. OTT proposes the following Amendment No. to S. 935 (COUNCIL\WAB\935C039.RT.WAB22):

Reference is to Printer's Date 4/28/22-H.

Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 2, by striking Section 59-8-110 (A)(1) and inserting:

/ (1) 'Cost of attendance' means the published tuition, fees, textbooks, and fees for transportation paid to a fee-for-service transportation provider as approved by the Department for the student to travel to and from an eligible school as defined in this section, but not to exceed seven hundred and fifty dollars for each school year, but does not include tutoring. /

Amend the bill further, SECTION 2, by striking Section 59-8-170 and inserting:

/Section 59-8-170.(A) The Department will approve independent schools for participation in the program that meet all program requirements. Once a school is found eligible to participate in the program, it is presumed eligible for the remaining two years unless the department finds otherwise. The independent school shall certify to the department that it continues to meet all program requirements. The department shall develop an application to be completed by the independent schools.

(B) Before March first of each year, the department shall publish on its website a comprehensive list of independent and public schools certified as eligible schools. The list must include each eligible school's name, addresses, telephone numbers, and, if available, website addresses.

(C) An independent school that is denied certification pursuant to this chapter may seek review by filing a request for a contested case hearing with the Administrative Law Court in accordance with the court 's rules of procedure.

(D) The department shall grant an exemption to an eligible school from participating in the program if the eligible school can show that it has space limitations and is unable to accept additional students.

(E) The department may prohibit a school from participating in the program if the department finds that the participating school has:

(1) routinely failed to comply with the accountability standards established in this chapter; or

(2) failed to provide the eligible student participating in the program with the educational services funded by the account.

(F) If the department decides to prohibit an eligible school from participating in the program, then the department shall notify qualifying students participating in the program and their parents of this decision as quickly as possible.

(G) The department shall approve a list of fee-for-service transportation providers that a qualifying student may use. /

Amend the bill further, SECTION 2, by striking Section 59-8-190 and inserting:

/Section 59-8-190.The department shall develop and administer an annual program survey to all parents of qualifying students regarding the effectiveness of the fund. Results must be provided to the General Assembly before December thirty-first of each year./