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As Introduced
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
H. B. No. 643
2025-2026
Representatives Pizzulli, Somani
To
amend section 3310.032 of the Revised Code
to
limit the EdChoice expansion scholarship to families with a federal
adjusted gross income of $500,000 or less.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
That
section 3310.032 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec.
3310.032.
(A)
A student is an "eligible student" for purposes of the
expansion of the educational choice scholarship pilot program under
this section if the student's resident district is not a school
district in which the pilot project scholarship program is operating
under sections 3313.974 to 3313.979 of the Revised Code and the
student is entering any of grades kindergarten through twelve in the
school year for which a scholarship is sought. A student's parent or
guardian may certify income eligibility to the department of
education and workforce by submitting, in a manner determined by the
department, an affidavit affirming the student's family income meets
the requirement, proof of income eligibility under another state or
federal program, or other evidence determined appropriate by the
department. Any individual who is not required to file a tax return
under section 5747.02 of the Revised Code shall not be required to
certify income eligibility under this section.
Beginning
with the 2026-2027 school year, a student is not eligible to receive
a scholarship under this section for any school year for which the
student's family federal adjusted gross income in the immediately
preceding tax year was greater than or equal to five hundred thousand
dollars. This income threshold requirement shall be adjusted annually
for inflation based on the most recent consumer price index, as
defined in section 107.21 of the Revised Code, or as determined by
the department of education and workforce.
(B)
In each fiscal year for which the general assembly appropriates funds
for purposes of this section, the department of education and
workforce shall pay scholarships to attend chartered nonpublic
schools in accordance with section 3317.022 of the Revised Code. The
number of scholarships awarded under this section shall not exceed
the number that can be funded for that school year as authorized by
the general assembly.
(C)
Scholarships under this section shall be awarded as follows:
(1)
For the 2013-2014 school year, to eligible students who are entering
kindergarten in that school year for the first time;
(2)
For each subsequent school year through the 2019-2020 school year,
scholarships shall be awarded to eligible students in the next grade
level above the highest grade level awarded in the preceding school
year, in addition to the grade levels for which students received
scholarships in the preceding school year;
(3)
Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, to eligible students who
are entering any of grades kindergarten through twelve in that school
year for the first time.
(D)
A student who receives a scholarship under this section remains an
eligible student and may continue to receive scholarships under this
section in subsequent school years until the student completes grade
twelve, so long as the student satisfies the conditions specified in
divisions (D)(2) and (3) of section 3310.03 of the Revised Code.
Once
a scholarship is awarded under this section, the student shall remain
eligible for that scholarship for the current school year and
subsequent school years even if the student's family income rises
above the amount specified in division (A) of this section, provided
the student remains enrolled in a chartered nonpublic school.
Section
2.
That
existing section 3310.032 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.