Overview
- The Senate approved SB 318 with bipartisan unanimity and sent the overhaul to the House, which has not filed its own measure.
- The bill creates a standalone voucher appropriation and requires state-issued student IDs plus regular family confirmations before funds are released.
- Provisions include a single scholarship application, a standard withdrawal form, annual audits of the Education Department and scholarship groups, and lower administrative fees for tax-credit scholarships.
- Sponsors say the $250 million stabilization fund would cushion enrollment swings and address House concerns about separating voucher dollars from the main education budget.
- Lawmakers cited audit findings of funding that failed to follow students, including roughly 30,000 unaccounted students tied to about $270 million, $655 million advanced to funding groups before school started, at least $7 million paid before verifying attendance, and more than $400 million left idle in accounts.