(A) A scholarship under the Jon Peterson special needs scholarship program shall not be awarded for the first time to an eligible applicant on behalf of a qualified special education child while the child's individualized education program is being developed by the school district in which the child is entitled to attend school, or by the child's school district of residence if different, or while any administrative or judicial mediation or proceedings with respect to the content of that individualized education program are pending.

(B) Development of individualized education programs subsequent to the one developed for the child the first time a scholarship was awarded on behalf of the child and the prosecuting, by the eligible applicant on behalf of the child, of administrative or judicial mediation or proceedings with respect to any of those subsequent individualized education programs do not affect the applicant's and the child's continued eligibility for scholarship payments.

(C) In the case of any child for whom a scholarship has been awarded, if the school district in which the child is entitled to attend school has agreed to provide some services for the child under an agreement entered into with the eligible applicant or with the alternative public provider or registered private provider implementing the child's individualized education program, or if the district is required by law to provide some services for the child, including transportation services under sections 3310.60 and 3327.01 of the Revised Code, the district shall not discontinue the services it is providing pending completion of any administrative proceedings regarding those services. The prosecuting, by the eligible applicant on behalf of the child, of administrative proceedings regarding the services provided by the district does not affect the applicant's and the child's continued eligibility for scholarship payments.

(D) The department of education shall continue to make payments to the eligible applicant under section 3310.57 of the Revised Code while either of the following are pending:

(1) Administrative or judicial mediation or proceedings with respect to a subsequent individualized education program for the child referred to in division (B) of this section;

(2) Administrative proceedings regarding services provided by the district under division (C) of this section.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.