Education (School Choice)

in committee · United States · House Sep 10, 2025

HR 5181: SOAR Act Improvements Act

The SOAR Act Improvements Act (HR 5181) amends Washington, D.C.'s scholarship program to extend grant durations from 5 to 10 years without competitive renewal, expand eligibility to schools across the Washington metropolitan region (including parts of Maryland and Virginia), and update funding rules. It allows scholarship funds to cover pre-kindergarten, increases annual academic assistance funding from $2 million to $2.2 million, and requires participating schools to maintain accreditation. The bill also modifies evaluation requirements to include annual reporting on student outcomes like graduation rates and school safety comparisons, with evaluations mandated every seven years starting in 2027. These changes directly affect D.C. scholarship recipients, participating schools, and eligible entities administering the program.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases scholarship funding ($2M to $2.2M), expands regional access beyond D.C., covers pre-K, and requires school accreditation - directly advancing educational access and funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · Senate May 15, 2025

S 1795: Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act

This bill creates new pre-charter planning subgrants (up to $100,000 each) for charter school developers led by educators with at least 54 months of school-based experience and proven leadership. It directly affects educator-led groups seeking to open new charter schools, requiring them to have completed a community needs plan. Key provisions include reserving 5% of grant funds for these educator-led subgrants and adjusting funding percentages for other charter school support activities. The bill modifies existing grant programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to prioritize educator involvement in charter school development.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates educator-led charter school subgrants ($100k each), reserves 5% funding for teacher-led initiatives, expanding access to charter schools and supporting educator leadership in K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Teachers

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in committee · United States · House May 20, 2025

HR 3519: Universal School Choice Act

The Universal School Choice Act (HR 3519) creates tax credits for individuals and corporations that contribute to scholarship granting organizations providing education scholarships. The bill establishes a $10 billion annual cap on these credits and defines "qualified" education expenses to include tuition, materials, tutoring, and other costs at public or private schools, including religious institutions. Scholarship granting organizations must meet requirements like income verification for low-income students and annual audits. The legislation prohibits government control over these organizations and ensures religious schools can participate without discrimination. This bill would directly affect taxpayers making education contributions, scholarship organizations, and students attending participating schools.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesCreates tax credits reducing government revenue, weakening fiscal management by diverting funds via tax breaks instead of public funding.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands educational access by creating tax credits for scholarships at public/private schools, including religious institutions, increasing funding options for families.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Jan 13, 2026

HR 3453: Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act

HR 3453, the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act, creates new federal grants to help educator-led teams plan and open charter schools. It provides up to $100,000 per team for pre-charter planning, targeting groups led by educators with at least 4.5 years of school-based experience (including after-school programs) and a demonstrated ability to lead. To qualify, teams must submit a community needs assessment and a plan showing how their proposed school will address those needs. The bill reserves 5% of relevant funding for these educator-led grants, adjusting existing ESEA grant formulas to prioritize this new support. This directly affects educators seeking to start charter schools and the communities where those schools would operate.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides federal grants ($100k/team) for charter school planning, increasing government spending on education programs.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates federal grants ($100k/team) for educator-led charter school planning, directly funding teacher-led initiatives and community needs assessments to expand educational access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Teachers Testing & Assessment

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in committee · United States · Senate Jan 29, 2025

S 311: ACE Act

The ACE Act expands 529 education savings accounts to cover elementary and secondary school expenses, including homeschooling, tutoring, educational therapies, and materials, for families enrolled in public, private, or religious schools. It increases the annual distribution limit from $10,000 to $20,000 for K-12 expenses and adds a $20,000 annual gift tax exclusion for contributions to these accounts. The bill also requires states with tax-exempt bonds for education to have school choice programs (like vouchers or scholarships) that meet specific eligibility and funding criteria. These provisions directly affect families using 529 plans for K-12 education and states administering education funding. The changes apply to distributions and gifts after 2026, with bond restrictions taking effect upon enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAdds $20k annual gift tax exclusion for education savings, providing tax relief for families through expanded tax-advantaged accounts.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands K-12 education access via increased 529 limits ($10k→$20k) and school choice options, directly strengthening funding mechanisms for families.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Jan 28, 2025

HR 817: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against tax for charitable donations to nonprofit organizations providing education scholarships to qualified elementary and secondary students.

HR 817, the Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025, creates a new tax credit allowing individuals to claim up to 10% of their adjusted gross income (capped at $5,000) for charitable contributions to scholarship granting organizations. These organizations provide education scholarships to eligible students from households with income not exceeding 300% of the area median gross income, covering qualified expenses like tuition, curriculum materials, and educational therapies. The bill establishes strict requirements for scholarship organizations, including verifying household income, conducting annual audits, and distributing scholarships to multiple students without government control. It also prohibits government entities from mandating or controlling scholarship organizations or excluding private or religious schools from receiving scholarship funds, while exempting scholarship amounts from taxable income for recipients. The tax credit is limited to $5 billion annually for 2025-2028, allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax credit for education donations (10% AGI cap), providing tax relief while funding scholarship programs through charitable contributions, aligning with fiscal support for public education.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates tax credit for K-12 education scholarships, expanding access for low-income students through charitable donations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Curriculum School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Apr 7, 2025

HR 2691: To abolish the Department of Education and to provide funding directly to States for elementary and secondary education, and for other purposes.

HR 2691 would abolish the U.S. Department of Education 30 days after enactment, terminating all its programs except the Federal Pell Grant and Direct Loan programs for higher education. It redirects federal funding for elementary and secondary education directly to states through block grants, calculated based on each state's share of national individual income tax payments. States receiving these funds would be required to use them for K-12 education, with no federal restrictions on how they distribute the money. The bill transfers oversight of the remaining higher education programs to the Treasury Secretary. This change would shift control of K-12 education funding from the federal government to state governments.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill redirects federal K-12 funding to states via block grants, maintaining funding without federal restrictions, ensuring continued support for education.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Apr 9, 2025

HR 2798: High-Quality Charter Schools Act

HR 2798 creates a federal tax credit allowing individuals to claim 75% of qualified cash or securities donations (up to $5,000 or 10% of adjusted gross income) to eligible charter school organizations. To qualify, organizations must be 501(c)(3) entities meeting strict criteria, including being in the top 10% for student performance in their state or receiving specific federal grants, and must undergo annual audits. The credit is subject to a $5 billion annual cap, allocated first to states (with $10 million per state) and then nationally on a first-come, first-served basis. This directly affects individual donors making qualifying contributions and charter school organizations seeking to expand operations through tax-advantaged funding.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates federal tax credit for donations to charter schools, providing tax relief through a qualified donation incentive.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates tax credit for donations to high-performing charter schools, expanding private funding options and access to K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits School Choice

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in committee · United States · House May 7, 2025

HR 3250: Developing and Advancing Innovative Learning Models

HR 3250 creates a federal grant program to support the development and adoption of evidence-based innovative learning models in K-12 schools. The bill directly affects the Department of Education's Institute for Education Sciences, state education agencies, and local school districts, which would receive funding to develop, research, and implement these models. Key mechanisms include competitive grants for early development, mid-phase evaluation, and expansion of promising models; requirements that models be evidence-based and developed with school community input; and annual reporting requirements for grantees. The bill prohibits federal mandates on specific learning models while requiring that grant funds supplement rather than replace existing funding. The program is authorized for funding from 2026-2035 (Title I) and 2027-2036 (Title II).

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates federal grants to fund evidence-based K-12 learning models, directly advancing educational innovation and providing funding to schools/state agencies.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill funds innovative learning models in K-12 schools, which typically involve technology integration and digital tools for education.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education K-12 Education School Choice

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in committee · United States · House Jan 28, 2025

HR 750: ACE Act

The ACE Act (HR 750) expands 529 education savings plans to cover K-12 expenses, allowing families to use these accounts for tuition, curriculum materials, books, online learning, approved tutoring, standardized tests, and educational therapies for students with disabilities. It doubles the annual distribution limit from $10,000 to $20,000 for elementary and secondary expenses and increases gift tax exclusions for 529 contributions by up to $20,000 per year. The bill also requires states to implement school choice programs (like vouchers or education savings accounts) to qualify for tax-exempt school bonds, with specific eligibility thresholds for states. This directly affects families using 529 plans for K-12 education, homeschoolers, and states seeking tax-exempt bond funding for schools.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases gift tax exclusions for 529 contributions ($20k/year) and expands tax-advantaged education savings, providing direct tax relief for families.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands 529 plans to cover K-12 expenses, doubles annual limits, and increases tax exclusions to boost educational funding access and affordability for families.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education School Choice

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