2019 Mississippi Code
Title 37 - Education
Chapter 181 - Equal Opportunity for Students With Special Needs Act
§ 37-181-11. Adoption of rules and policies for administration of program; development of system for payment of benefits; prevention of fraud
(1) To ensure that funds are spent appropriately, the State Department of Education shall adopt rules and policies necessary for the administration of the program, including the auditing of Education Scholarship Accounts, and shall conduct or contract for random audits throughout the year.
(2)
(a) The department or qualified nonprofit shall develop a system for payment of benefits, including, but not limited to, allowing educational service providers to invoice the department or designated nonprofit for qualified expenses consistent with Section 37-181-5(2), or allowing parents to seek reimbursement for qualified expenses consistent with Section 37-181-5(2).
(b) The department or qualified nonprofit may make payments to educational service providers or reimbursement to parents via check or warrant or electronic funds transfer or any other means of payment deemed to be commercially viable or cost-effective.
(c) The department may also establish by rule that some payments to educational service providers will be made on a quarterly basis, rather than an annual basis, if the educational services will be rendered over an extended period of time.
(3) The department shall adopt a process for removing educational service providers that defraud parents and for referring cases of fraud to law enforcement.
(4) The department shall establish or contract for the establishment of an online anonymous fraud reporting service.
(5) The department shall establish or contract for the establishment of an anonymous telephone hotline for fraud reporting.
