SOAR Act Improvements Act
This bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and modifies the District of Columbia (DC) Opportunity Scholarship Program, which is a federal program that funds private school scholarships for low-income students in DC.
Under the program, the Department of Education (ED) issues grants to nonprofit organizations to pay for income-qualified DC residents to attend DC private elementary or secondary schools of their choice. The bill expands the program to include pre-kindergarten students and authorizes ED to renew grants for up to five years without a new application.
Current law requires nonprofits to ensure that if more scholarship students apply to a particular school than the school can accommodate, students will be randomly selected for admission. The bill specifies that this only applies if random selection would not interfere with the school's regular admission standards or procedures.
Current law also requires schools to be properly accredited in order to participate in the program (i.e., enroll scholarship students). The bill authorizes a nonparticipating school to enroll scholarship students provided it obtains accreditation within five years of first pursuing participation in the program.
The bill also makes other administrative changes to the program, including (1) authorizing the majority of voting members of a nonprofit’s board to live in the DC metropolitan area, rather than in DC itself; (2) removing a cap on the use of funds for tutoring students; and (3) directing ED and the mayor of DC to periodically evaluate and publicly report on the program.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5181 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5181
To amend the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to make
improvements in the program for awarding school choice scholarships to
students in the District of Columbia.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 8, 2025
Ms. Foxx introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to make
improvements in the program for awarding school choice scholarships to
students in the District of Columbia.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``SOAR Act Improvements Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANT DURATION AND APPLICATIONS.
(a) Extension of Grant Duration.--Section 3004(a)(2) of the
Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (sec. 38-1853.04(a)(2),
D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``5 years'' and inserting
``5 years, and may renew such grants for an additional period of not
more than 5 years, without a competitive process, when the Secretary
determines appropriate and desirable to maintain continuity in the
program''.
(b) Changes to Application Content.--
(1) Noninterference in regular admissions standards or
procedures.--Section 3005(b)(1)(C) of such Act (sec. 38-
1853.05(b)(1)(C), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking
the semicolon at the end and inserting ``, if such a process
will not interfere with the regular admission standards or
procedures of the school;''.
(2) Change to residency requirement of eligible entity
board members.--
(A) In general.--Section 3005(b)(1)(M) of such Act
(sec. 38-1853.05(b)(1)(M), D.C. Official Code) is
amended by striking ``District of Columbia'' and
inserting ``Washington metropolitan region''.
(B) Washington metropolitan region defined.--
Section 3013 of such Act (sec. 38-1853.13, D.C.
Official Code) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(12) Washington metropolitan region.--The term
`Washington metropolitan region' includes the District of
Columbia, the counties of Montgomery and Prince Georges in
Maryland, and the counties of Arlington and Fairfax and the
cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia.''.
SEC. 3. ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--Section 3007(a)(5)(A) of the Scholarships for
Opportunity and Results Act (sec. 38-1853.07(a)(5)(A), D.C. Official
Code) is amended--
(1) by amending clause (i) to read as follows:
``(i) in the case of a school that is a
participating school as of the date of
enactment of the SOAR Act Improvements Act, is
recognized by--
``(I) a national or regional
accrediting body; or
``(II) an accrediting body sited by
the Student and Visitor Exchange
English Language Program administered
by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement; and''; and
(2) by amending clause (ii) to read as follows:
``(ii) in the case of a school that is not
a participating school as of the date of
enactment of the SOAR Act Improvements Act, is
fully accredited by an accrediting body
described under clause (i) not later than 5
years after the date on which that school began
the process of pursuing participation under
this division.''.
(b) Removal of Completed Report.--Section 3007(a)(5) of such Act
(sec. 38-1853.07(a)(5), D.C. Official Code) is further amended by
striking subparagraph (B) and redesignating subparagraph (C) as
subparagraph (B).
SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) Extension of Funds for Use in Pre-Kindergarten.--Section
3007(a)(3)(B)(i)(I) of the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act
(sec. 38-1853.07(a)(3)(B)(i)(I), D.C. Official Code) is amended by
striking ``kindergarten'' and inserting ``pre-kindergarten''.
(b) Maximum Scholarship Amount.--Section 3007(a)(3)(B)(ii) of such
Act (sec. 38-1853.07(a)(3)(B)(ii), D.C. Official Code) is amended by
adding at the end the following: ``In any year, an eligible entity
receiving a grant under section 3004(a) has sole authority to establish
a maximum scholarship amount less than the amount permitted in
(3)(B)(i).''
(c) Extension of Funds for Additional Student Academic
Assistance.--
(1) In general.--Section 3007 of such Act (sec. 38-1853.07,
D.C. Official Code) is further amended--
(A) in subsection (b)--
(i) in the heading, by striking ``and
Parental Assistance'' and inserting ``,
Parental Assistance, and Student Academic
Assistance''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) The expenses of providing tutoring service to
participating eligible students who need additional academic
assistance. If there are insufficient funds to provide tutoring
services to all such students in a year, the eligible entity
shall give priority in such year to students who previously
attended an elementary school or secondary school identified as
one of the lowest-performing schools under the District of
Columbia's accountability system.'';
(B) by striking subsection (c) and redesignating
subsection (d) as subsection (c); and
(C) in subsection (c), as so redesignated--
(i) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking
``subsections (b) and (c)'' and inserting
``subsection (b)''; and
(ii) in paragraph (3), by striking
``subsections (b) and (c)'' and inserting
``subsection (b)''.
(2) Increase in amount of funds.--Section 3007(b) of such
Act (sec. 38-1853.07(b), D.C. Official Code) is further amended
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``$2,000,000'' and inserting ``$2,200,000'';
(3) Removal of completed study.--Section 3007(b)(1) of such
Act (sec. 38-1853.07(b)(1), D.C. Official Code) is further
amended--
(A) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a period; and
(B) by striking subparagraph (F).
SEC. 5. STANDARDIZED TESTING REQUIREMENTS.
Section 3008(h) of the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act
(sec. 38-1853.08(h), D.C. Official Code) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``section
3009(a)(2)(A)(i)'' and inserting ``section 3009(a)'';
(2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) Administration of tests.--The Institute of Education
Sciences may administer assessments to students participating
in the evaluation under section 3009(a) for the purpose of
conducting the evaluation under such section.''; and
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``the nationally norm-
referenced standardized test described in paragraph (2)'' and
inserting ``a nationally norm-referenced standardized test''.
SEC. 6. EVALUATIONS.
(a) Modification in Evaluation Frequency.--Section 3009(a)(1)(A) of
the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (sec. 38-
1853.09(a)(1)(A), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read as follows:
``(A) jointly enter into an agreement with the
Institute of Education Sciences of the Department of
Education to--
``(i) conduct an evaluation of the
opportunity scholarship program under this
division; and
``(ii) not later than January 1, 2027, and
every 7 years thereafter, issue a public report
on the opportunity scholarship program under
this division.''.
(b) Responsibility of Secretary.--
(1) Ensuring evaluations are rigorous.--Section
3009(a)(2)(A)(i) of such Act (sec. 38-1853.09(a)(2)(A)(i), D.C.
Official Code) is amended to read as follows:
``(i) is rigorous; and''.
(2) Ensuring proper information is made public.--Section
3009(a)(2)(B) of such Act (sec. 38-1853.09(a)(2)(B), D.C.
Official Code) is amended to read as follows:
``(B) disseminate information on the impact of the
program on academic progress and educational
attainment.''.
(c) Responsibility of Institute of Education Sciences.--
(1) Evaluation of participating eligible students.--Section
3009(a)(3) of such Act (sec. 38-1853.09(a)(3), D.C. Official
Code) is amended--
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as
follows:
``(A) assess the academic progress of participating
eligible students who use an opportunity scholarship in
each of grades 3 through 8;''; and
(B) by striking subparagraph (B) and redesignating
subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B).
(2) Technical amendment.--Section 3009(a)(3) of such Act
(sec. 38-1853.09(a)(3), D.C. Official Code) is further amended
in the heading, by striking ``on education'' and inserting ``of
education''.
(d) Issues To Be Evaluated.--Section 3009(a)(4) of such Act (sec.
38-1853.09(a)(4), D.C. Official Code) is amended--
(1) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
``(A) The academic progress of participating
eligible students who use an opportunity scholarship
compared to the academic progress of a comparison group
of students with similar backgrounds, which may include
students in the District of Columbia public schools and
the District of Columbia public charter schools.'';
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``increasing the
satisfaction of such parents and students with their choice''
and inserting ``the satisfaction of those parents and students
with the program'';
(3) by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:
``(D) The high school graduation rates, college
enrollment rates, college persistence rates, and
college graduation rates of participating eligible
students who use an opportunity scholarship compared
with the rates of public school students described in
subparagraph (A), to the extent practicable.'';
(4) by amending subparagraph (E) to read as follows:
``(E) The safety of the schools attended by
participating eligible students who use an opportunity
scholarship compared with the schools attended by
public school students described in subparagraph (A),
to the extent practicable.'';
(5) by striking subparagraphs (F) and (G); and
(6) by redesignating subparagraph (H) as subparagraph (F).
(e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to evaluations carried out on or after the
expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 7. REPORT BY ENTITY RECEIVING FUNDS.
(a) Change to Contents of Report.--Section 3010 of the Scholarships
for Opportunity and Results Act (sec. 38-1853.10, D.C. Official Code)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)--
(A) by striking subparagraph (A); and
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively; and
(2) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``aggregate
academic achievement of other participating students at
the student's school in the same grade or level, as
appropriate, and the''; and
(B) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as
follows:
``(B) any incidents of school violence, student
suspensions, and student expulsions; and''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made this section shall apply
with respect to reports submitted for school years beginning on or
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 8. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.
(a) In General.--Section 3014 of the Scholarships for Opportunity
and Results Act (sec. 38-1853.14, D.C. Official Code) is amended in
subsection (a)--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``through fiscal year 2023'' and inserting ``through fiscal
year 2032'';
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``one-third'' and
inserting ``one-half''; and
(3) in paragraph (2), by striking ``one-third'' and
inserting ``one-sixth''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply beginning with respect to fiscal year 2024.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 20.
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