Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes educational spending debit cards to parents of public, private, and homeschooled students in North Dakota.

Highlights:

• Requires parents to file a form with the superintendent of public instruction to request an educational empowerment account (Sec. 2).

• Requires request form to include an acknowledgment that (Sec. 2):

• Parents may not enroll a student in a school district in the state to access money in the account;

• Parents may not file a statement of intent to supervise home education.

• Money in the account may only be used for educational expenses; and

• Monies in the account will be transferred to the general fund of the state treasury after the student graduates from high school.

• Requires the superintendent of public instruction to notify parents using the last-known email address, if the parent fails to file a request form for the next school year before September 1 (Sec. 2).

• Requires the superintendent of public instruction to close the account and transfer monies within the closed account into the general fund in the state treasury, if the parent fails to file a request form by October 1 (Sec. 2).

• Defines “authorized educational expenses” as (Sec. 2):

• Tuition and fees;

• Textbooks, curricula, and other instructional materials;

• Tutoring services;

• Educational services;

• Educational therapy;

• Registration fees for national standardized tests;

• Registration fees for advanced placement exams;

• Registration fees for any test or exam related to admission into postsecondary school;

• Transportation services between the student’s residence and the nonpublic school where the student is enrolled;

• Transportation between the student’s residence and the institution of higher education at which the student takes a course;

• Transportation between the student’s residence and the location of a program related to the education of the student; and

• Technological devices, instruments, or equipment related to the student’s education.

• Requires refunds for purchases made from the educational empowerment account to be credited to the student account (Sec. 2).

• Requires the superintendent to conduct random audits of accounts to ensure that the purchases are authorized (Sec. 2).

• Requires the superintendent to forward any evidence of fraud or misuse to the attorney general (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits parents convicted of fraud with the student's account from eligibility to participate in the program (Sec. 2).

• Requires the superintendent to develop and post an informational handbook on the public institution’s website (Sec. 2).

• Requires the superintendent to develop and post a form to withdraw a statement of intent to supervise home education on the public institution’s website (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits the use of this bill by superintendents of public instruction to exercise control outside of the scope of this bill on nonpublic schools, students, or parents (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text