In an effort to quell concerns about the state's voucher programs, the Legislature is considering a series of academic and financial requirements for private schools that wish to participate.

The Senate passed Senate Bill 2 on Monday, providing greater state oversight of voucher scholarship programs that allow public school students to transfer to private schools.

The state has three voucher programs: McKay scholarships for disabled students; the corporate tax credit scholarships, which send poor children to private schools; and opportunity scholarships, the state's original voucher program, which allow students from repeatedly failing public schools to attend private ones.

All are paid for with taxpayer dollars.

The state's voucher programs have faced a whirl of media scrutiny and investigations after reports of lax financial and academic oversight.

An audit in 2003 found taxpayer money was being used to support a school in Tampa that was founded by Sami Al-Arian, who is awaiting trial on charges of financing terrorist groups, and that another scholarship organization was collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars without sending any low-income children to private schools.

The Senate bill would institute a number of accountability measures lawmakers and education officials say are needed. They also come at a time when lawmakers are considering adding another voucher program proposed by Gov. Jeb Bush.

That program, called "reading compact scholarships," would allow students to transfer to private schools from public schools that repeatedly fail the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

The House approved its version of the bill (House Bill 1021) on Monday.

If the Senate approves its version (Senate Bill 2480), "we could have some 300,000 plus children on vouchers," said Sen. Jim King, the sponsor of the accountability bill.

"I think it would be unconscionable for us as stewards of the state if we don't have some way of tracking the way taxpayers' money is being spent," said King, R-Jacksonville.

The Senate accountability bill would enforce a number of standards for private schools wishing to participate in the state's voucher programs.

Schools would have to prove to the state that they are financially viable. Students would have to take standardized tests such as the FCAT, which is required of all public school students.

The bill also gives greater oversight authority to the Education Department and would have the auditor general periodically review participating schools.

Several Democrats, who generally oppose vouchers, supported the accountability bill because it would increase oversight of the programs.

"If we're going to have them, then we need to make sure that taxpayers that are paying for them are getting their due, and children are as well, and that the bad actors are caught in the net," said Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, during Senate debate Monday.

Voucher supporters don't like the legislation because they say it will limit the number of private schools willing to participate.