The Alabama House of Representatives passed the CHOOSE Act Tuesday evening, making education savings accounts, or ESAs, one step closer to reality.

The effort, a top priority for state Republicans, would dramatically expand school choice options and would direct public funding toward private school, home school and other educational costs. Lawmakers discussed the bill for four hours before voting 69-34 to approve it. Six Republicans joined the chamber’s 28 Democrats in voting no.

HB129 would provide eligible families $7,000 in state tax dollars per student to pay for the cost of educating their child in a participating school or for other eligible expenses. ESAs would become available at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

The state would prioritize support for low-income families and students with disabilities first, and then gradually phase in options for eligible families at the start of the 2027-28 school year.

Families who homeschool their children could receive $2,000 per child, up to $4,000 each year, for eligible expenses.

Related: What is an ESA? Is Alabama going to get new school choice option?

The bill calls for spending $100 million in the first year, split evenly between the Education Trust Fund and the supplemental allocation. It is not clear what the overall cost of the program after full implementation might be.

After the bill passed the chamber, several lawmakers and Gov. Kay Ivey stated their support.

“Here in Alabama, we are working hard to ensure that every child has the opportunity to choose an educational path that best helps them grow and learn. The CHOOSE Act will provide families around Alabama another option, and I am proud of my colleagues in the House for voting to move this effort forward,” said Rep. Danny Garrett.

Ivey has said that passing an ESA bill — something she has previously opposed — is a top priority for her this session.

“My goal is to put us on a trajectory to make our [ESA] program fully universal, while also maintaining our full and total support for public education,” she said during her state of the state address.

In recent years, Ivey has backed increased state support for charter schools and increased numbers of students eligible for the Alabama Accountability Act tax credit scholarship program.

Thirteen states currently have some form of education savings accounts, or ESAs.

The bill now heads to a Senate committee.