The CHOICE Act would expand school-choice options in three areas. It would change eligibility rules for the District of Columbia’s Opportunity Scholarship Program. It would let states create programs that help parents of children with disabilities choose a public or private school, with limited federal support under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It would also create a five-year scholarship pilot for children of military personnel living on selected installations. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to committee; it has not been enacted.
Some families in the District of Columbia could qualify for opportunity scholarships under revised rules. States could set up programs allowing parents of children identified as having disabilities to use public funds, or donations supported by state tax credits, toward school costs. The bill would also offer scholarships to eligible military-connected students living on participating installations. Military scholarships would be capped at the student’s tuition, fees, and transportation costs, subject to additional limits. Participation would depend on the state or installation creating or joining a program and on the student meeting its requirements.
The bill would authorize $10 million for each fiscal year from 2025 through 2029 for the military scholarship pilot. It also directs the Secretary of Education to return $10 million each year from the Department of Education’s salaries and expenses funds to the Treasury during those years. The bill sets scholarship limits of up to $8,000 for elementary students and $12,000 for secondary students in the first full school year, with later amounts adjusted for inflation. No total cost estimate is provided in the bill text.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.