Scholarship Program Expansion Ready for House Floor

On April 8, HB 7045 was passed by House Appropriations (20-5) and will go to the full House for consideration. This bill is the companion bill to SB 48 (Diaz). Similar to SB 48, this bill eliminates the prior-public-school requirement for all scholarships. It also increases the scholarship amount for the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC). However, unlike SB 48, this bill leaves the FTC as a separate tax credit scholarship and folds the McKay and Gardiner Scholarships for students with special needs and unique abilities into the FES. Additionally, HB 7045 does not create educational savings accounts for FES and FTC. SB 48 passed all committee references earlier in the session and remains on the Senate calendar on second reading.