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HB 2888

Relating to fish hatcheries.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Paul Evans

Arizona ESA expansion: broadens approved ESA expenditures and adds oversight, with independent evaluation teams and annual eligibility reviews to extend support up to age 22.

In committee upon adjournment.
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Bill Summary · HB 2888

Summary — HB 2888 (Introduced version, Feb 14, 2025)

Note: the provided document contains conflicting headings (a “Relating to fish hatcheries” title) and also includes unrelated Illinois bill text. The substantive text supplied is an introduced Arizona bill that would amend Arizona Revised Statutes §§15‑2402 and 15‑2403 concerning Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs). This summary covers the Arizona ESA provisions actually in the document.

Purpose

Amend the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts statutes to clarify and expand authorized uses of ESA funds, add programmatic duties for the Department of Education, and set procedures for continued eligibility reviews for certain students approaching their final ESA year.

Key provisions and changes

  • Amends A.R.S. §15‑2402 (and references §15‑2403) to restate ESA purpose and parent agreement requirements.
  • Parent obligations remain: use ESA funds for education in core subjects (reading, grammar, math, social studies, science), not concurrently enroll the student in a public district/charter school (with limited exceptions), and not accept a school tuition organization scholarship in the same year the ESA agreement is signed.
  • Expands and clarifies allowable ESA expenditures. Included categories (non‑exhaustive due to truncation) are:
    • Tuition/fees at a “qualified school” (with fingerprinting requirement for staff).
    • Textbooks required by a qualified school or postsecondary institution.
    • For students meeting specified eligibility criteria (those listed in A.R.S. §15‑2401(7)(a)(i)–(iii)), additional services may be paid: licensed educational therapies (including amounts not covered by insurance), licensed paraprofessionals/aides, approved vocational and life‑skills tuition, educational/psychological evaluations, assistive technology, Braille services.
    • Tutoring or teaching services provided by individuals or accredited facilities — with a new explicit requirement that tutors/providers not be subject to disciplinary action by the State Board of Education.
    • Curricula, supplementary materials, nonpublic online program tuition, standardized test/AP/college admission exam fees, eligible postsecondary tuition, account management fees, public school services (classes/extracurriculars), transportation (including commuter passes and ride‑hailing), computer hardware and devices primarily used for education, uniforms bought through a qualified school.
  • Department obligations:
    • Ensure any individual providing tutoring/teaching to ESA students is not subject to State Board disciplinary action.
    • Remove from department‑provided parent/consumer platforms any individual who is subject to such disciplinary action.
  • Procedures for students nearing the final contract year:
    • If a qualifying student is in the second year prior to their final ESA year, costs for an annual education plan by an independent evaluation team may be paid by ESA funds.
    • The department will set minimum qualifications for independent evaluation teams and criteria to determine continued eligibility through age 22 (subject to annual review).
    • Independent evaluation teams must submit a written report by July 31; the report is valid for one year. Parents may appeal department decisions under A.R.S. title 41, ch. 6, art. 10.
    • As an addendum to a final‑year contract, the department must provide parents with information on eligibility continuation, rights to obtain an annual education plan, and a list of qualified independent evaluation teams.
  • The text is truncated; additional specifics (e.g., limits, transfer schedules, §15‑2403 changes) are not visible in the provided excerpt.

Who is affected

  • Eligible Arizona students and their parents who use ESA funds.
  • School districts and charter schools (release of obligation when a student enrolls in ESA).
  • Private/qualified schools, tutors, paraprofessionals, licensed therapy providers, independent evaluation teams.
  • Arizona Department of Education and State Board of Education (new compliance/oversight duties).

Procedural status & sponsors (from document)

  • Introduced: February 14, 2025.
  • Status indicated: In committee upon adjournment.
  • Amends: A.R.S. §15‑2402 and §15‑2403.
  • Primary sponsor: Rep. Anna Abeytia; cosponsors include Quantá Crews, Kevin Volk, Lorena Austin, Myron Tsosie, Stephanie Simacek, Aaron Márquez, Nancy Gutierrez.

Notes and next steps

  • The bill text in the provided document is incomplete/truncated; review the full introduced bill for complete language, any dollar limits, transfer/timing rules in §15‑2403, and definitions.
  • The header/title mismatch and inclusion of an unrelated Illinois HB2888 (FOIA fee changes) suggest a compilation or filing error — confirm the correct bill text and jurisdiction before relying on this summary for legal or administrative action.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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