Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1795 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1795

    To modify the program of grants to support high-quality charter 
                                schools.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 15, 2025

   Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr. Bennet) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To modify the program of grants to support high-quality charter 
                                schools.

    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 ``Empower Charter School Educators to 
Lead Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS.

    Section 4303 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7221b) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(2)(A) provide technical assistance to eligible 
        applicants and authorized public chartering agencies in 
        carrying out the activities described in paragraph (1);
            ``(B) work with authorized public chartering agencies in 
        the State to improve authorizing quality, including developing 
        capacity for, and conducting, fiscal oversight and auditing of 
        charter schools; and
            ``(C) at the State entity's discretion--
                    ``(i) fund a revolving loan fund or similar 
                mechanisms for expenses under subsection (h) prior to 
                an eligible applicant receiving reimbursement; and
                    ``(ii) provide assistance to eligible applicants in 
                locating and accessing a facility; and
            ``(3) provide pre-charter planning subgrants (in amounts of 
        no more than $100,000 per prospective applicant) to charter 
        school developers that--
                    ``(A) intend to submit an application--
                            ``(i) to an authorized public chartering 
                        agency to operate a charter school; or
                            ``(ii) to nonprofit or public entities for 
                        the provision of financial support to such 
                        developers;
                    ``(B) are led by educators who--
                            ``(i) have not less than 54 months of 
                        school-based experience (which may include 
                        experience in teaching in or administering 
                        after school or summer school programs); and
                            ``(ii) have demonstrated leadership 
                        competencies and success with students, as 
                        determined by the State entity; and
                    ``(C) have successfully completed the development 
                of an initial plan for opening a charter school, as 
                evidenced by a description of the educational needs of 
                the community in which the proposed charter school will 
                be located and how the proposed charter school will be 
                suited to meet those needs.'';
            (2) in subsection (c)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``90 percent'' 
                and inserting ``80 percent'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by striking ``not less than 7 percent'' 
                        and inserting ``not more than 10 percent''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``and'' after the 
                        semicolon;
                    (C) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                subparagraph (D);
                    (D) in subparagraph (D), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``3 percent'' and inserting ``5 percent''; and
                    (E) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the 
                following:
                    ``(C) reserve not more than 5 percent of such funds 
                to carry out the activities described in subsection 
                (b)(3); and'';
            (3) in subsection (d)(1)(B), by striking ``this section'' 
        and inserting ``subsection (b)(1)'';
            (4) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ``this section'' and 
        inserting ``subsection (b)(1)'';
            (5) in subsection (f)(1)(A)(vi)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by 
                inserting ``under subsection (b)(1)'' after 
                ``program''; and
                    (B) in subclause (II), by striking ``subgrant funds 
                under this section'' and inserting ``subgrant funds 
                under subsection (b)(1)''; and
            (6) in subsection (h), in the matter preceding paragraph 
        (1), by striking ``this section'' and inserting ``subsection 
        (b)(1)''.
                                 <all>