A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to change the ELIGIBILITY criteria for the opportunity scholarship Grant Fund Program to allow any student eligible to attend a north carolina public school to be eligible for a scholarship grant and to appropriate funds for the expansion of the program.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑562.1(3)a. reads as rewritten:
"a.	Is eligible to attend a North Carolina public school pursuant to G.S. 115C‑366.

	

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SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑562.2(a)(2)b. is repealed.
SECTION 3.  G.S. 115C‑562.8(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	The General Assembly finds that, due to the critical need in this State to provide opportunity for school choice for North Carolina students, it is imperative that the State provide an increase of funds of at least ten million dollars ($10,000,000) each fiscal year for 10 years to the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve. Therefore, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Reserve the following amounts for each fiscal year to be used for the purposes set forth in this section:
Fiscal Year	Appropriation
2017‑2018	$44,840,000
2018‑2019	$54,840,000
2019‑2020	$64,840,000
2020‑2021	$76,840,000
2021‑2022	$86,840,000
2022‑2023	$96,840,000
2023‑2024	$106,840,000
2024‑2025	$116,840,000
2025‑2026	$126,840,000
2026‑2027	$136,840,000
For the 2027‑2028 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Reserve the sum of one hundred forty‑six million eight hundred forty thousand dollars ($146,840,000) to be used for the purposes set forth in this section. When developing the base budget, as defined by G.S. 143C‑1‑1, for each fiscal year specified in this subsection, the Director of the Budget shall include the appropriated amount specified in this subsection for that fiscal year."
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the award of scholarship grants for the 2021‑2022 school year.