HB0123

Creates the Wyoming Education Savings Accounts program, which provides state-funded spending accounts for eligible students to pay for qualifying education expenses, contingent upon a Wyoming Supreme Court ruling on an existing program.

• Establishes the Wyoming Education Savings Accounts Act and creates the ESA program, defining key terms including education savings accounts, eligible students, education service providers, qualified schools, and related concepts. (W.S. 21-2-1001, W.S. 21-2-1002)
• Sets annual ESA funding amounts between $3,000 and $6,000 based on household income relative to federal poverty levels, with funds disbursed quarterly from the Wyoming education savings accounts expenditure account. (W.S. 21-2-1003(a), W.S. 21-2-1003(b), W.S. 21-2-1003(c))
• Establishes eligibility requirements for students not yet graduated from high school or at least four years old and not yet kindergarten-ready, and requires parents to sign an agreement specifying use of ESA funds for qualifying education expenses. (W.S. 21-2-1004(a), W.S. 21-2-1004(b))
• Specifies qualifying education expenses including tuition at qualified schools, tutoring services, public school district services, textbooks and curriculum, computer hardware, educational software, school uniforms, standardized testing fees, summer programs, career and technical school tuition, therapies, higher education tuition, and transportation fees. (W.S. 21-2-1004(b)(i))
• Allocates 80% of ESAs to students eligible for K-12 education and 20% to pre-kindergarten eligible students, with unused pre-kindergarten allocations transferable to K-12 students, and prioritizes returning students when demand exceeds funding on a first-come, first-served basis. (W.S. 21-2-1005(e))
• Requires the state superintendent to establish ESA certification and application procedures, maintain lists of approved education service providers, provide fraud reporting mechanisms, audit at least 2% of ESAs annually, and investigate misuse of funds. (W.S. 21-2-1005, W.S. 21-2-1006(a))
• Establishes requirements for education service providers including state certification, prohibition on rebating ESA funds to parents, and protection of provider independence and autonomy from government regulation beyond ESA program enforcement.