An Act to Establish the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0220
Committee Amendment CA_A_H182 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 143,-L.D. 220,~"An Act to Establish the 
Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Program in Order to Provide Funding for Students 
Attending Certain Private Schools. and Students Receiving Home Instruction" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 3 the following: 
'Sec. 4. - Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Program N457 
Initiative: Provides base allocations to authorize the expenditure of funds received as a 
result of 90% of the state subsidy and 90% of a local school administrative unit's required 
local contribution ~ttributable to a qualified student for whom a hope account is established 
being deposited into the fund. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2025-26 
$500 
$500 
2026-27 
$500 
$500 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04/08/25 LRL 
LD220 
LR548(02) 
An Act to Establish the Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Program in Order to Provide Funding for 
Students Attending Certain Private Schools and Students Receiving Home Instruction 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "'' ( H- l ~ -Z..) 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Reduction in state subsidy - local school administrative units 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
FY 2025-26 
$500 
FY2026-27 
$500 
Projections 
FY2027-28 
$500 
Projections 
FY 202f 
$500 
This bill establishes the Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Program to be administered by the Hope and Inclusion 
Scholarship Board with the assistance of the Department of Education. It creates individual hope accounts which may 
be used by parents or legal guardians of qualified students to pay for the education of those students enrolled in 
private schools or those students receiving home instruction. The bill provides that the board may receive up to 3% of 
the state subsidy attributable to the qualified student for whom a hope account is established to pay for the ongoing 
costs of administering the program. The amount to be received by the board each year will depend on the number of 
students that participate in the program. To the extent that funding received by the board from the 3 % of state subsidy 
for each student for which a hope account is established is insufficient to cover the cost of administering the program, 
General Fund appropriations may be required. 
• 
The bill requires the Department of Education to deposit 90% of the state subsidy for each child approved for a hope 
account that ·would otherwise be paid to the child's local school administrative unit (SAU) into an account established 
for that child. The SAU of the child approved for the program is required to deposit 90% of its required local 
contribution attributable to that child into the child's hope account. The impact to individual SA Us affected by this 
requirement will depend on the number of students in each SAU that participate in the program each year. This bill 
includes ongoing Other Special Revenue Funds base allocations of $500 per year beginning in fiscal year 2025-26 to 
the Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Program to authorize the expenditure of funds received from the deposit of the 
state subsidy and the required local contribution. Expenditures include the establishment of individual hope accom 
for eligible students and the ongoing costs to administer the program. 
LR0548(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of2 
Additional costs to the Department of Education, the University of Maine System, the Pennanent Commission on the 
Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the State 
Auditor and the Office of the State Treasurer associated with serving on the Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Board are 
expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR0548(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 2 of 2