Rep. Bell seeks to bar a single personal marijuana conviction from costing HOPE scholarship eligibility

Representative Bell told the Higher Education Committee that HB206 was initially drafted to repeal the post-secondary drug provision broadly but has been narrowed so that a single conviction for possession of marijuana for personal use would not, by itself, terminate a student's HOPE scholarship eligibility.

Bell characterized the bill as a targeted, moderate step that aligns state practice with federal financial aid considerations and recent federal rescheduling debates. "If a student has a marijuana conviction for personal use, they will not lose the HOPE scholarship," Bell said, explaining that he and the chair worked to pare the original draft down.

Committee staff and members focused on statutory drafting and headers: the working committee substitute is LC492631S, and the chair noted the committee would ask House Judiciary to help define "personal use" as the term is used across code sections. Members asked whether the bill's scope extended beyond cannabis; Bell said the present iteration limits relief to cannabis only.

Members expressed support for the bill's objective but requested clarifying language to ensure consistent application and avoid unintended interactions with federal Title IV or other federal requirements. The chair asked the sponsor to provide revised language and to coordinate with staff before the committee meets again Wednesday.

What happens next: Sponsor and staff will reconcile substitute language and provide a clarified draft for member review at the committee's Wednesday meeting; no vote occurred in this session.