Florida lawmakers may cut an underused scholarship program as they fine-tune the expansion of the universal school choice initiative passed last year.

On Tuesday, the Florida House Education and Employment Committee will consider House Bill 1403, which would repeal the Hope Scholarship program, among other adjustments. The Hope Scholarship provides funding for bullied students to transfer to a private school or a different public school.

For the current school year, the state funded 538 Hope scholarships, which was a record number since the scholarship was established in 2018, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The bill to repeal the scholarship has been reported favorably out of two subcommittees.

Then-GOP Gov. Rick Scott touted the initiative as an opportunity for school choice, but some supporters of HB 1403, such as Republican state Rep. Josie Tomkow, say it’s now reiterative.

“Since we now have universal school choice, that scholarship is no longer needed,” Tomkow told the outlet last week.

Conservative group Florida Citizens Alliance has been vocally opposed to the proposal, starting a petition to ask lawmakers not to scrap the scholarship.

“The scholarship is a victim’s bill that provides students the ability to attend a private school of their choice. But some in the state legislature want to toss it in the dustbin of history and leave vulnerable students open to ongoing harassment from other students or school officials without providing a lifeline,” the petition reads. “We can’t allow the state legislature to eliminate this powerful tool that is saving the lives of children across the Sunshine State.”

With the 2023 expansion of school vouchers, parents can use state dollars to fund their children’s education-related expenses, including private school tuition.

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Florida is one of a handful of states that expanded their voucher program in 2023, a growing trend among Republican-led states, but its rollout has not been without its hiccups.

The state lifted the 41,000-student limit on vouchers for students with disabilities during a special session last year and is looking to fix problems with the program, which have included late disbursements of scholarship funds.