Florida Senate - 2026                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 318
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì629180&Î629180                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
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                Floor: 3/AD/2R         .                                
             01/14/2026 04:47 PM       .                                
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       Senator Gaetz moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment 
    2  
    3         Delete lines 807 - 834
    4  and insert:
    5  enrolled full time in a public school and is enrolled and in
    6  attendance, unless excused for illness or other good cause, in
    7  one of the following:
    8         1. A home education program;
    9         2. A personalized education program; or
   10         3. A private school.
   11         (c) The parent of a student enrolled at a private school
   12  may authorize the private school to satisfy the requirement in
   13  paragraph (b) on behalf of the parent by attesting that the
   14  student is enrolled in and in attendance at the private school.
   15  The private school and the organization must maintain records of
   16  the parental authorization, which must be renewed each school
   17  year and may be included as part of the parent’s approval of the
   18  funds transfer authorized pursuant to subparagraph (6)(b)1. An
   19  improper attestation may be investigated as fraud pursuant to
   20  subparagraph (10)(a)6., and the private school may be liable to
   21  the state for payments made in violation of this subsection and,
   22  if found liable, must reimburse the state for funds improperly
   23  paid to the private school.
   24         (d) The organization may not make any payment into a
   25  student’s account prior to a parent’s acceptance of a
   26  scholarship award, upon notification that the student is
   27  enrolled in a public school unless the organization can verify
   28  the student’s eligibility, or for any period of time prior to
   29  the department’s verification of the student’s eligibility. An
   30  organization is liable to the state for payments made in
   31  violation of this subsection and must reimburse the state for
   32  funds that were improperly awarded which cannot be recovered.
   33         (e) For a student who was enrolled in a public school prior
   34  to participation in the scholarship program as determined by the
   35  department, the organization must receive proof that the parent
   36  submitted the standard withdrawal form to the public school
   37  where the student was previously enrolled or, if the withdrawal
   38  occurred prior to the creation of the standard withdrawal form,
   39  another form of proof of withdrawal from the public school.