(1) PURPOSE.—The Hope Scholarship Program is established to provide the parent of a public school student who was subjected to an incident listed in subsection (3) an opportunity to transfer the student to another public school or to request a scholarship for the student to enroll in and attend an eligible private school.
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Dealer” has the same meaning as provided in s. 212.06.
(b) “Department” means the Department of Education.
(c) “Designated agent” has the same meaning as provided in s. 212.06(10).
(d) “Eligible contribution” or “contribution” means a monetary contribution from a person purchasing a motor vehicle, subject to the restrictions provided in this section, to an eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization. The person making the contribution may not designate a specific student as the beneficiary of the contribution.
(e) “Eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization” or “organization” has the same meaning as provided in s. 1002.395(2)(f).
(f) “Eligible private school” has the same meaning as provided in s. 1002.395(2)(g).
(g) “Motor vehicle” has the same meaning as provided in s. 320.01(1)(a), but does not include a heavy truck, truck tractor, trailer, or motorcycle.
(h) “Parent” means a resident of this state who is a parent, as defined in s. 1000.21, and whose student reported an incident in accordance with subsection (6).
(i) “Program” means the Hope Scholarship Program.
(j) “School” means any educational program or activity conducted by a public K-12 educational institution, any school-related or school-sponsored program or activity, and riding on a school bus, as defined in s. 1006.25(1), including waiting at a school bus stop.
(k) “Unweighted FTE funding amount” means the statewide average total funds per unweighted full-time equivalent funding amount that is incorporated by reference in the General Appropriations Act, or by a subsequent special appropriations act, for the applicable state fiscal year.
(3) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.—Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, contingent upon available funds, and on a first-come, first-served basis, a student enrolled in a Florida public school in kindergarten through grade 12 is eligible for a scholarship under this program if the student reported an incident in accordance with subsection (6). For purposes of this section, the term “incident” means battery; harassment; hazing; bullying; kidnapping; physical attack; robbery; sexual offenses, harassment, assault, or battery; threat or intimidation; or fighting at school, as defined by the department in accordance with s. 1006.09(6).
(4) PROGRAM PROHIBITIONS.—Payment of a scholarship to a student enrolled in a private school may not be made if a student is:
(a) Enrolled in a public school, including, but not limited to, the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind; the College-Preparatory Boarding Academy; a developmental research school authorized under s. 1002.32; or a charter school authorized under s. 1002.33, s. 1002.331, or s. 1002.332;
(b) Enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in the Department of Juvenile Justice commitment programs;
(c) Participating in a virtual school, correspondence school, or distance learning program that receives state funding pursuant to the student’s participation unless the participation is limited to no more than two courses per school year; or
(d) Receiving any other educational scholarship pursuant to this chapter.
(5) TERM OF HOPE SCHOLARSHIP.—For purposes of continuity of educational choice, a Hope scholarship shall remain in force until the student returns to public school or graduates from high school, whichever occurs first. A scholarship student who enrolls in a public school or public school program is considered to have returned to a public school for the purpose of determining the end of the scholarship’s term.
(6) SCHOOL DISTRICT OBLIGATIONS; PARENTAL OPTIONS.—
(a) Upon receipt of a report of an incident, the school principal, or his or her designee, shall provide a copy of the report to the parent and investigate the incident to determine if the incident must be reported as required by s. 1006.09(6). Within 24 hours after receipt of the report, the principal or his or her designee shall provide a copy of the report to the parent of the alleged offender and to the superintendent. Upon conclusion of the investigation or within 15 days after the incident was reported, whichever occurs first, the school district shall notify the parent of the program and offer the parent an opportunity to enroll his or her student in another public school that has capacity or to request and receive a scholarship to attend an eligible private school, subject to available funding. A parent who chooses to enroll his or her student in a public school located outside the district in which the student resides pursuant to s. 1002.31 shall be eligible for a scholarship to transport the student as provided in paragraph (11)(b).
(b) For each student participating in the program in an eligible private school who chooses to participate in the statewide assessments under s. 1008.22 or the Florida Alternate Assessment, the school district in which the student resides must notify the student and his or her parent about the locations and times to take all statewide assessments.
(7) PRIVATE SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY AND OBLIGATIONS.—An eligible private school may be sectarian or nonsectarian and shall:
(a) Comply with all requirements for private schools participating in state school choice scholarship programs pursuant to this section and s. 1002.421.
(b)1. Annually administer or make provision for students participating in the program in grades 3 through 10 to take one of the nationally norm-referenced tests identified by the department or the statewide assessments pursuant to s. 1008.22. Students with disabilities for whom standardized testing is not appropriate are exempt from this requirement. A participating private school shall report a student’s scores to his or her parent.
2. Administer the statewide assessments pursuant to s. 1008.22 if a private school chooses to offer the statewide assessments. A participating private school may choose to offer and administer the statewide assessments to all students who attend the private school in grades 3 through 10 and must submit a request in writing to the department by March 1 of each year in order to administer the statewide assessments in the subsequent school year.
If a private school fails to meet the requirements of this subsection or s. 1002.421, the commissioner may determine that the private school is ineligible to participate in the program.
(8) DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OBLIGATIONS.—The department shall:
(a) Cross-check the list of participating scholarship students with the public school enrollment lists to avoid duplication and, when the Florida Education Finance Program is recalculated, adjust the amount of state funds allocated to school districts through the Florida Education Finance Program based upon the results of the cross-check.
(b) Maintain a list of nationally norm-referenced tests identified for purposes of satisfying the testing requirement in paragraph (9)(f). The tests must meet industry standards of quality in accordance with State Board of Education rule.
(c) Require quarterly reports by an eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization regarding the number of students participating in the program, the private schools in which the students are enrolled, and other information deemed necessary by the department.
(d) Contract with an independent entity to provide an annual evaluation of the program by:
1. Reviewing the school bullying prevention education program, climate, and code of student conduct of each public school from which 10 or more students transferred to another public school or private school using the Hope scholarship to determine areas in the school or school district procedures involving reporting, investigating, and communicating a parent’s and student’s rights that are in need of improvement. At a minimum, the review must include:
a. An assessment of the investigation time and quality of the response of the school and the school district.
b. An assessment of the effectiveness of communication procedures with the students involved in an incident, the students’ parents, and the school and school district personnel.
c. An analysis of school incident and discipline data.
d. The challenges and obstacles relating to implementing recommendations from the review.
2. Reviewing the school bullying prevention education program, climate, and code of student conduct of each public school to which a student transferred if the student was from a school identified in subparagraph 1. in order to identify best practices and make recommendations to a public school at which the incidents occurred.
3. Reviewing the performance of participating students enrolled in a private school in which at least 51 percent of the total enrolled students in the prior school year participated in the program and in which there are at least 10 participating students who have scores for tests administered.
4. Surveying the parents of participating students to determine academic, safety, and school climate satisfaction and to identify any challenges to or obstacles in addressing the incident or relating to the use of the scholarship.
(9) PARENT AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPATION.—A parent who applies for a Hope scholarship is exercising his or her parental option to place his or her student in an eligible private school.
(a) The parent must select an eligible private school and apply for the admission of his or her student.
(b) The parent must inform the student’s school district when the parent withdraws his or her student to attend an eligible private school.
(c) Any student participating in the program must remain in attendance throughout the school year unless excused by the school for illness or other good cause.
(d) Each parent and each student has an obligation to the private school to comply with such school’s published policies.
(e) Upon reasonable notice to the department and the school district, the parent may remove the student from the private school and place the student in a public school in accordance with this section.
(f) The parent must ensure that the student participating in the program takes the norm-referenced assessment offered by the private school. The parent may also choose to have the student participate in the statewide assessments pursuant to s. 1008.22. If the parent requests that the student take the statewide assessments pursuant to s. 1008.22 and the private school has not chosen to offer and administer the statewide assessments, the parent is responsible for transporting the student to the assessment site designated by the school district.
(g) Upon receipt of a scholarship warrant, the parent to whom the warrant is made must restrictively endorse the warrant to the private school for deposit into the account of such school. If payment is made by funds transfer in accordance with paragraph (11)(d), the parent must approve each payment before the scholarship funds may be deposited. The parent may not designate any entity or individual associated with the participating private school as the parent’s attorney in fact to endorse a scholarship warrant or approve a funds transfer. A parent who fails to comply with this paragraph forfeits the scholarship.
(10) OBLIGATIONS OF ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT SCHOLARSHIP-FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS.—An eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization may establish scholarships for eligible students by:
(a) Receiving applications and determining student eligibility in accordance with the requirements of this section.
(b) Notifying parents of their receipt of a scholarship on a first-come, first-served basis, based upon available funds.
(c) Establishing a date by which the parent of a participating student must confirm continuing participation in the program.
(d) Awarding scholarship funds to eligible students, giving priority to renewing students from the previous year.
(e) Preparing and submitting quarterly reports to the department pursuant to paragraph (8)(c). In addition, an eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization must submit in a timely manner any information requested by the department relating to the program.
(f) Notifying the department of any violation of this section.
(11) FUNDING AND PAYMENT.—
(a) For students initially eligible in the 2019-2020 school year or thereafter, the calculated amount for a student to attend an eligible private school shall be calculated in accordance with s. 1002.394(12)(a).
(b) The maximum amount awarded to a student enrolled in a public school located outside of the district in which the student resides shall be $750.
(c) When a student enters the program, the eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization must receive all documentation required for the student’s participation, including a copy of the report of the incident received pursuant to subsection (6) and the private school’s and student’s fee schedules. The initial payment shall be made after verification of admission acceptance, and subsequent payments shall be made upon verification of continued enrollment and attendance at the private school.
(d) Payment of the scholarship by the eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization may be by individual warrant made payable to the student’s parent or by funds transfer, including, but not limited to, debit cards, electronic payment cards, or any other means of payment that the department deems to be commercially viable or cost-effective. If payment is made by warrant, the warrant must be delivered by the eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization to the private school of the parent’s choice, and the parent shall restrictively endorse the warrant to the private school. If payments are made by funds transfer, the parent must approve each payment before the scholarship funds may be deposited. The parent may not designate any entity or individual associated with the participating private school as the parent’s attorney in fact to endorse a scholarship warrant or approve a funds transfer.
(e) An eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization shall obtain verification from the private school of a student’s continued attendance at the school for each period covered by a scholarship payment.
(f) Payment of the scholarship shall be made by the eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization no less frequently than on a quarterly basis.
(g) An eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization, subject to the limitations of s. 1002.395(6)(j)1., may use eligible contributions received during the state fiscal year in which such contributions are collected for administrative expenses.
(h) Moneys received pursuant to this section do not constitute taxable income to the qualified student or his or her parent.
(i) Notwithstanding s. 1002.395(6)(j)2., no more than 5 percent of net eligible contributions may be carried forward to the following state fiscal year by an eligible scholarship-funding organization. For audit purposes, all amounts carried forward must be specifically identified for individual students by student name and by the name of the school to which the student is admitted, subject to the requirements of ss. 1002.21 and 1002.22 and 20 U.S.C. s. 1232g, and the applicable rules and regulations issued pursuant to such requirements. Any amounts carried forward shall be expended for annual scholarships or partial-year scholarships in the following state fiscal year. Net eligible contributions remaining on June 30 of each year which are in excess of the 5 percent that may be carried forward shall be transferred to other eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations participating in the Hope Scholarship Program to provide scholarships for eligible students. All transferred funds must be deposited by each eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization receiving such funds into the scholarship account of eligible students. All transferred amounts received by an eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization must be separately disclosed in the annual financial audit requirement under s. 1002.395(6)(m). If no other eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization participates in the Hope Scholarship Program, net eligible contributions in excess of the 5 percent may be used to fund scholarships for students eligible under s. 1002.395 only after fully exhausting all contributions made in support of scholarships under that section in accordance with the priority established in s. 1002.395(6)(e) prior to awarding any initial scholarships.
(12) OBLIGATIONS OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL.—
(a) The Auditor General shall conduct an annual operational audit of accounts and records of each organization that participates in the program. As part of this audit, the Auditor General shall verify, at a minimum, the total number of students served and transmit that information to the department. The Auditor General shall provide the commissioner with a copy of each annual operational audit performed pursuant to this paragraph within 10 days after the audit is finalized.
(b) The Auditor General shall notify the department of any organization that fails to comply with a request for information.
(13) SCHOLARSHIP-FUNDING TAX CREDITS.—
(a) A tax credit is available under s. 212.1832(1) for use by a person that makes an eligible contribution. Eligible contributions shall be used to fund scholarships under this section and may be used to fund scholarships under s. 1002.395. Each eligible contribution is limited to a single payment of $105 per motor vehicle purchased at the time of purchase of a motor vehicle or a single payment of $105 per motor vehicle purchased at the time of registration of a motor vehicle that was not purchased from a dealer, except that a contribution may not exceed the state tax imposed under chapter 212 that would otherwise be collected from the purchaser by a dealer, designated agent, or private tag agent. Payments of contributions shall be made to a dealer at the time of purchase of a motor vehicle or to a designated agent or private tag agent at the time of registration of a motor vehicle that was not purchased from a dealer. An eligible contribution shall be accompanied by a contribution election form provided by the Department of Revenue. The form shall include, at a minimum, the following brief description of the Hope Scholarship Program and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program: “THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT WHO WAS SUBJECTED TO AN INCIDENT OF VIOLENCE OR BULLYING AT SCHOOL THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND AN ELIGIBLE PRIVATE SCHOOL RATHER THAN REMAIN IN AN UNSAFE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. THE FLORIDA TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES A LOW-INCOME STUDENT THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND AN ELIGIBLE PRIVATE SCHOOL.” The form shall also include, at a minimum, a section allowing the consumer to designate, from all participating scholarship-funding organizations, which organization will receive his or her donation. For purposes of this subsection, the term “purchase” does not include the lease or rental of a motor vehicle.
(b) A dealer, designated agent, or private tag agent shall:
1. Provide the purchaser the contribution election form, as provided by the Department of Revenue, at the time of purchase of a motor vehicle or at the time of registration of a motor vehicle that was not purchased from a dealer.
2. Collect eligible contributions.
3. Using a form provided by the Department of Revenue, which shall include the dealer’s or agent’s federal employer identification number, remit to an organization no later than the date the return filed pursuant to s. 212.11 is due the total amount of contributions made to that organization and collected during the preceding reporting period. Using the same form, the dealer or agent shall also report this information to the Department of Revenue no later than the date the return filed pursuant to s. 212.11 is due.
4. Report to the Department of Revenue on each return filed pursuant to s. 212.11 the total amount of credits granted under s. 212.1832 for the preceding reporting period.
(c) An organization shall report to the Department of Revenue, on or before the 20th day of each month, the total amount of contributions received pursuant to paragraph (b) in the preceding calendar month on a form provided by the Department of Revenue. Such report shall include:
1. The federal employer identification number of each designated agent, private tag agent, or dealer who remitted contributions to the organization during that reporting period.
2. The amount of contributions received from each designated agent, private tag agent, or dealer during that reporting period.
(d) A person who, with the intent to unlawfully deprive or defraud the program of its moneys or the use or benefit thereof, fails to remit a contribution collected under this section is guilty of theft, punishable as follows:
1. If the total amount stolen is less than $300, the offense is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Upon a second conviction, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Upon a third or subsequent conviction, the offender is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
2. If the total amount stolen is $300 or more, but less than $20,000, the offense is a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
3. If the total amount stolen is $20,000 or more, but less than $100,000, the offense is a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
4. If the total amount stolen is $100,000 or more, the offense is a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(e) A person convicted of an offense under paragraph (d) shall be ordered by the sentencing judge to make restitution to the organization in the amount that was stolen from the program.
(f) Upon a finding that a dealer failed to remit a contribution under subparagraph (b)3. for which the dealer claimed a credit pursuant to s. 212.1832(2), the Department of Revenue shall notify the affected organizations of the dealer’s name, address, federal employer identification number, and information related to differences between credits taken by the dealer pursuant to s. 212.1832(2) and amounts remitted to the eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization under subparagraph (b)3.
(g) Any dealer, designated agent, private tag agent, or organization that fails to timely submit reports to the Department of Revenue as required in paragraphs (b) and (c) is subject to a penalty of $1,000 for every month, or part thereof, the report is not provided, up to a maximum amount of $10,000. Such penalty shall be collected by the Department of Revenue and shall be transferred into the General Revenue Fund. Such penalty must be settled or compromised if it is determined by the Department of Revenue that the noncompliance is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful negligence, willful neglect, or fraud.
(14) LIABILITY.—The state is not liable for the award of or any use of awarded funds under this section.
(15) SCOPE OF AUTHORITY.—This section does not expand the regulatory authority of this state, its officers, or any school district to impose additional regulation on participating private schools beyond those reasonably necessary to enforce requirements expressly set forth in this section.
(16) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this section, except the Department of Revenue shall adopt rules to administer subsection (13).
History.—s. 16, ch. 2018-6; s. 9, ch. 2019-23; s. 3, ch. 2020-95; s. 6, ch. 2021-27; s. 14, ch. 2022-154.
