Update: Noon, March 16, 2022: SB 601 failed to see final passage on the senate floor yesterday by a vote of 20-29. More here. HB 999 & HB 60 died in committee.
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Re; Georgia’s 2021-2022 HB 60, HB 999 (Rep Wes Cantrell (R) and SB 601 (Sen. Butch Miller (R) were taken from this model.
- Our take: K-12 private school scholarship should be limited to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents
#SB601 #HB999 #HB60
Below is from the American Federation for Children’s model legislation on “school choice!” (Parental Choice Scholarship Program).
Model Legislation
Section 1. {Title} The Parental Choice Scholarship Program
Section 2. {Definitions}
(A) “Program” means the Parental Choice Scholarship Program created in this subchapter.
(B) “Eligible student” means any elementary or secondary student who was eligible to attend a public school in [state] in the preceding semester or is starting school in [state] for the first time.1
(C) “Parent” includes a guardian, custodian, or other person with the authority to act on behalf of the child….
“Endnotes
These notes are intended to provide guidance to legislators on some of the key policy questions they will encounter in drafting and debating school choice legislation. In particular, we would draw your attention to the program evaluation language contained in Section X.
1. The definition for an eligible student in this model legislation includes all children of school age. The authors believe that all children should receive public support for their education regardless of whether they attend a public or private school, whether they are just starting school, or have already dropped out. Please note that this inclusive definition will significantly increase the number of students in your state receiving public support for their education and thereby either increase the costs to taxpayers or reduce the level of assistance available to support each student. Legislators wishing to draft a bill that saves money will want to limit eligibility largely to students who attended a public school in the last year. This savings will occur because private school costs are generally much lower than public school costs.
- Related: SB 601 “school choice!” passes senate committee with zero public comment allowed – still no workable exclusion for illegal aliens
