As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 643

2025-2026

To amend section 3310.032 of the Revised Code to limit the EdChoice expansion scholarship to families with a federal adjusted gross income of $500,000 or less.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 3310.032 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3310.032. (A) A student is an "eligible student" for purposes of the expansion of the educational choice scholarship pilot program under this section if the student's resident district is not a school district in which the pilot project scholarship program is operating under sections 3313.974 to 3313.979 of the Revised Code and the student is entering any of grades kindergarten through twelve in the school year for which a scholarship is sought. A student's parent or guardian may certify income eligibility to the department of education and workforce by submitting, in a manner determined by the department, an affidavit affirming the student's family income meets the requirement, proof of income eligibility under another state or federal program, or other evidence determined appropriate by the department. Any individual who is not required to file a tax return under section 5747.02 of the Revised Code shall not be required to certify income eligibility under this section.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a student is not eligible to receive a scholarship under this section for any school year for which the student's family federal adjusted gross income in the immediately preceding tax year was greater than or equal to five hundred thousand dollars. This income threshold requirement shall be adjusted annually for inflation based on the most recent consumer price index, as defined in section 107.21 of the Revised Code, or as determined by the department of education and workforce.

(B) In each fiscal year for which the general assembly appropriates funds for purposes of this section, the department of education and workforce shall pay scholarships to attend chartered nonpublic schools in accordance with section 3317.022 of the Revised Code. The number of scholarships awarded under this section shall not exceed the number that can be funded for that school year as authorized by the general assembly.

(1) For the 2013-2014 school year, to eligible students who are entering kindergarten in that school year for the first time;

(2) For each subsequent school year through the 2019-2020 school year, scholarships shall be awarded to eligible students in the next grade level above the highest grade level awarded in the preceding school year, in addition to the grade levels for which students received scholarships in the preceding school year;

(3) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, to eligible students who are entering any of grades kindergarten through twelve in that school year for the first time.

(D) A student who receives a scholarship under this section remains an eligible student and may continue to receive scholarships under this section in subsequent school years until the student completes grade twelve, so long as the student satisfies the conditions specified in divisions (D)(2) and (3) of section 3310.03 of the Revised Code.

Once a scholarship is awarded under this section, the student shall remain eligible for that scholarship for the current school year and subsequent school years even if the student's family income rises above the amount specified in division (A) of this section, provided the student remains enrolled in a chartered nonpublic school.

Section 2. That existing section 3310.032 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.