Gov. Jeb Bush Praises HB1: Proposed Expansion of Florida’s Empowerment Scholarship Account

“The right to a publicly funded education is a promise our state makes to every student and yesterday, Speaker Paul Renner and members of the legislature took bold steps to ensure each and every Florida student can access the education of their choice.  

“Florida stands on the monumental verge of restoring the original intent of publicly funding education – by funding individual students – so each child can reach their God-given potential. HB1 is a forward thinking and important move toward ensuring Florida remains the nation’s leader in student-centered solutions. I applaud Speaker Renner and the Florida House for their vision and leadership in creating this unmatched opportunity for Florida students and families.”

House Bill 1, released by Speaker Renner and sponsored by Rep. Kaylee Tuck, will significantly expand school choice options for all Florida K-12 students. 

• Creates universal eligibility for the Family Empowerment Scholarship program.
• Expands eligibility for homeschool students who wish to utilize the program. 
• Removes scholarship caps for low-income based programs.
• Eliminates the waitlist for special needs students.
• Transforms the Family Empowerment Scholarship program and Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program into an education savings account (ESA) program, allowing funds to be used to pay for tuition and a variety of educational material and expenses.
• Improves the definition of part-time enrollment – enabling students who enroll in a traditional public school part-time to receive their proportionate share of public education funding.

The full legislation can be found here.