H259 - 2023 Appropriations Act. (SL 2023-134)

Overview: Section 8A.16 of S.L. 2023-134 revises the date by which the Division of Nonpublic Education (Division) must provide to the State Education Assistance Authority (SEAA) a list of nonpublic schools, including home schools, operating in the State by December 31 of each year. In addition, the Division must create a unique identifier for each nonpublic school registered with the Division and provide the identifiers to SEAA.

Nonpublic schools that have students that receive Opportunity Scholarships must annually provide to the Division the following information: (i) name and address of the school, including physical location address; (ii) the name of the owners and chief administrator; and (iii) number of students in attendance at the school as of October 1. If a nonpublic school terminates operation during the school's regular schedule and fails to (i) report the date of the closure to the Division within 14 days, and (ii) return funds owed to SEAA in a timely manner for students who received Opportunity Scholarships, any other nonpublic school opened during that school year or subsequent school years by an owner or chief administrator listed in the report submitted to the Division for that closed school is ineligible to receive Opportunity Scholarship funds until such time SEAA determines the obligation to return those funds has been satisfied.

This section became effective July 1, 2023.