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Senate Education Committee advances education savings account bill after raising income limits
Summary
The Senate Education Committee amended Senate Bill 2,400 to raise income thresholds for eligibility and voted to send the bill, as amended, to the Appropriations Committee by a 4–2 margin after earlier failed motions and debate over the lack of a fiscal note.
The Senate Education Committee on Thursday voted to advance Senate Bill 2,400, an education savings account (ESA) proposal, as amended and referred it to the Appropriations Committee.
Chairman Beard presided as Senator Axman moved a "due pass" motion on Senate Bill 2,400 and Senator Bauschay seconded; that initial motion failed 2–3. Committee members then considered alternative motions, including a motion "without committee recommendation" that later failed 1–5. Debate centered on how broadly to set income eligibility for the ESA and on the absence of a fiscal note to show program costs.
Senator Gearhart suggested expanding the means test to make the $4,000 tier available to families at higher incomes, asking, "Would you consider expanding the means portion, the means test?" Supporters and opponents both emphasized that the final percentages would affect the fiscal impact. Senator Axman, a sponsor, said the appropriation process would ultimately set precise percentages once a fiscal note is available: "...when we know how much we can spend and when the fiscal note comes out, I think we can play with those percentages."
Committee members voted on an amendment offered by Senator Gearhart that increased the bill's means-test thresholds: the category previously tied to 200 percent of the relevant guideline was amended to 300 percent, and a 400 percent threshold was amended to 500 percent. The amendment passed 5–1. After that change, Senator Lem moved a "due pass as amended" and to refer the bill to Appropriations; Senator Moshe seconded. On the final committee vote the motion passed 4–2. The committee recorded the final tally as four yeas and two nays; the bill now advances to Appropriations for fiscal review.
Committee discussion repeatedly returned to the absence of a fiscal note. Several members urged that exact income percentages would likely be adjusted in Appropriations once cost estimates are available. Members also touched briefly on testing requirements for homeschool and nonpublic schools but did not adopt related amendments at committee passage.
Senator Axman will carry the bill to the floor. The committee did not set an implementation date; appropriators will determine funding and specific dollar allocations once the fiscal note is completed.
