Committee advances SB 87 after debate over eligibility, caps and reporting for scholarship tax credits

Senate Bill 87, a bill to amend provisions of the tax credit for low-income student scholarship programs, was debated at length in the Kansas Senate Education Committee before the committee passed the bill out favorably as amended.

Revisor Tamara Lawrence summarized the bill’s principal changes: it would expand student eligibility, require a period for the State Board of Education to verify student eligibility to scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs), increase certain tax-credit amounts and raise aggregate tax-credit limits under specified conditions. On an amendment by Senator Thomas (explained by Lawrence), the committee considered increasing the annual allowable credits from $10 million to $15 million and raising the aggregate credit trigger from $20 million to $25 million beginning in tax years after 2025. Lawrence said: “This would increase that to $15,000,000. Additionally, the bill would provide that aggregate credit limit…