HB 378 Louisiana House · 2025 Regular Session

TOPS: Lowers the ACT score required for initial qualification for a Taylor Opportunity Program for Students award for students who complete approved home study programs (EN +$172,184 SG EX See Note)

HB 378 lowers the required ACT score for students completing approved home study programs to qualify for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) award. It directly affects students in home study programs who previously needed a higher ACT score for initial TOPS eligibility. The bill amends the program's eligibility criteria by reducing the minimum ACT score threshold for this specific group. The change adjusts the policy without altering the program's core structure or funding amounts.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Apr 2025

Committee Review

Jun 2025

House Passage

Jun 2025

Senate Passage

Jun 2025

Signed into Law

Jun 2025

Introduced Apr 3, 2025 Signed Jun 20, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Floor Bureau Note, #3147, Edmonds, Adopted → HB378 Act · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill finalizes changes to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) that lower the minimum ACT scores required for students who completed home study programs. It establishes specific score thresholds for different award levels (Tech, Opportunity, Performance, and Honors) for students entering the program between the 2008-2009 and 2024-2025 academic years. The changes also update the legal text to reflect these new eligibility requirements and remove the deleted 'Award' word from the original amendment draft.

Scope change

The bill applies to students qualifying for initial TOPS awards between the 2008-2009 and 2024-2025 award years who completed approved home study programs.

ELIGIBILITY

Lowered the minimum ACT score requirement for home study program graduates to one point higher than the standard requirement for Performance and Honors awards, and two points higher for Tech and Opportunity awards.

Added specific provisions clarifying that home study program graduates must meet standard TOPS eligibility criteria in addition to the adjusted ACT score thresholds.

TECHNICAL

Removed the phrase 'Award' from the bill title and introductory text to align with the final enacted language.

Floor votes · Senate Jun 9, 2025 · House May 27, 2025

How they voted

37–0

Passed

Total votes 37

Jun 9, 2025

D Democratic11

11 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican26

26 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jun 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read by title, roll called, yeas 88, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

lower

Jun 9, 2025

Upper · Passed

Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 39 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

Jun 8, 2025

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

Jun 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Rules suspended. Recalled from Committee.

upper

Jun 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably. Rules suspended. Read by title and recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

upper

May 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 89, nays 6. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

May 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably (16-0).

lower

Apr 24, 2025

Committee

Read by title, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably (8-0).

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

lower

1 primary · 50 co-sponsors