Signed by Governor Mark Gordon

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that repeals the state school voucher program's income limit and increases payments to $7,000 in Wyoming.

Highlights:

• Amends the title of Wyoming Education Savings accounts to Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act (Sec. 2)

• Amends the qualified schools to not include pre-kindergarten (Sec 2).

• Increases the total amount for the school year 2025-2026 to $7,000 for each education savings account (Sec. 2).

• Requires at the end of the fiscal year for any amount over $130 million or 150% of the amount required to pay for all approved ESAs to be transferred to the public school foundation program account (Sec. 2).

• Expands the ability for another state agency or person designated by the superintendent to administer and disburse funds to ESA. (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits funding coming from county, city, or school district tax revenues (Sec. 2).

• Expands the act to include any child who is a Wyoming resident and has not graduated from high school or received a high school equivalency certificate and who is eligible to attend public school in this state (Sec. 2).

• Expands the funds to cover tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs (Sec. 2).

• Limits the funding to exclude after-school childcare programs (Sec. 2).

• Amends the section on requiring a statewide assessment be administered to ESA students and establishes students be assessed on academic progress (Sec. 2).

• Increases preferences for the following students if there are too many applications or not enough funding, including for siblings of an eligible student who (Sec. 2)

• Receives scholarship funds from an ESA at the time the sibling applied for an ESA; or 

• Received an ESA in the school year immediately preceding the school year in which the sibling applies for an ESA.

• Establishes the right of parents of ESA students and future students to intervene in any lawsuit (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that repeals the state school voucher program's income limit and increases payments to $7,000 in Wyoming.

Highlights:

• Amends the title of Wyoming Education Savings accounts to Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act (Sec. 2)

• Amends the qualified schools to not include pre-kindergarten (Sec 2).

• Increases the total amount for the school year 2025-2026 to $7,000 for each education savings account (Sec. 2).

• Requires at the end of the fiscal year for any amount over $130 million or 150% of the amount required to pay for all approved ESAs to be transferred to the public school foundation program account (Sec. 2).

• Expands the ability for another state agency or person designated by the superintendent to administer and disburse funds to ESA. (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits funding coming from county, city, or school district tax revenues (Sec. 2).

• Expands the act to include any child who is a Wyoming resident and has not graduated from high school or received a high school equivalency certificate and who is eligible to attend public school in this state (Sec. 2).

• Expands the funds to cover tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs (Sec. 2).

• Limits the funding to exclude after-school childcare programs (Sec. 2).

• Amends the section on requiring a statewide assessment be administered to ESA students and establishes students be assessed on academic progress (Sec. 2).

• Increases preferences for the following students if there are too many applications or not enough funding, including for siblings of an eligible student who (Sec. 2)

• Receives scholarship funds from an ESA at the time the sibling applied for an ESA; or 

• Received an ESA in the school year immediately preceding the school year in which the sibling applies for an ESA.

• Establishes the right of parents of ESA students and future students to intervene in any lawsuit (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that repeals the state school voucher program's income limit and increases payments to $7,000 in Wyoming.

Highlights:

• Amends the title of Wyoming Education Savings accounts to Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act (Sec. 2)

• Amends the qualified schools to not include pre-kindergarten (Sec 2).

• Increases the total amount for the school year 2025-2026 to $7,000 for each education savings account (Sec. 2).

• Requires at the end of the fiscal year for any amount over $130 million or 150% of the amount required to pay for all approved ESAs to be transferred to the public school foundation program account (Sec. 2).

• Expands the ability for another state agency or person designated by the superintendent to administer and disburse funds to ESA. (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits funding coming from county, city, or school district tax revenues (Sec. 2).

• Expands the act to include any child who is a Wyoming resident and has not graduated from high school or received a high school equivalency certificate and who is eligible to attend public school in this state (Sec. 2).

• Expands the funds to cover tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs (Sec. 2).

• Limits the funding to exclude after-school childcare programs (Sec. 2).

• Amends the section on requiring a statewide assessment be administered to ESA students and establishes students be assessed on academic progress (Sec. 2).

• Increases preferences for the following students if there are too many applications or not enough funding, including for siblings of an eligible student who (Sec. 2)

• Receives scholarship funds from an ESA at the time the sibling applied for an ESA; or 

• Received an ESA in the school year immediately preceding the school year in which the sibling applies for an ESA.

• Establishes the right of parents of ESA students and future students to intervene in any lawsuit (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text