NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers have tweaked a sweeping voucher proposal to ensure schoolchildren living in the country illegally are prohibited from accessing the program.
The House Education Committee officially made the amendment Wednesday just days after an anti-immigration group came out against the original structure of the bill, arguing it would result in school vouchers for "illegal aliens."
Under the latest version, families would have to provide a birth certificate, a driver's license or some sort of government documentation for their children participating in the education savings account plan.
Education savings accounts are the latest offshoot of traditional school voucher programs after previous proposals stalled in the Republican-dominated legislature.
The bill is backed by Gov. Bill Lee and is expected to cost $125 million over five years.