Autism Tuition Assistance Grant Program; established. (SB1544)

Introduced By

Sen. Walter Stosch (R-Glen Allen) with support from co-patrons Del. John O'Bannon (R-Richmond), and Sen. Steve Newman (R-Forest)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Autism Tuition Assistance Grant Program established. Establishes a tuition assistance grant program for students with autism. The program provides grants of no more than $20,000 a year per student to a Virginia nonsectarian private school of choice for students identified as autistic and for whom individual education plans have been written.

The bill requires that in order to receive the grant the following conditions be satisfied: (i) the student has attended a public school in the Commonwealth and has received special education services for at least one year prior to the receipt of the grant; (ii) the parent has obtained acceptance for admission of the student to an eligible private school; (iii) the parent has executed and submitted to the division superintendent a written statement acknowledging that the public school has implemented an individualized educational program that is reasonably calculated to provide educational benefit; and (iv) the parent has requested the grant of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and notified the division superintendent of that request.

The Board of Education is required to promulgate regulations to administer the Grant Program within 280 days of enactment.

The bill creates a subtraction for any grants included in the federal adjusted gross income of a parent. The bill establishes a voluntary contribution on the individual income tax return for taxpayers wishing to make a donation to the Grant Program. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/26/2009Unanimous consent to introduce
01/26/2009Presented and ordered printed 092892332
01/26/2009Referred to Committee on Finance
01/30/2009Impact statement from DPB (SB1544)
02/05/2009Failed to report (defeated) in Finance (7-Y 9-N) (see vote tally)