School Choice Funding Bill to Be Introduced

With President Donald Trump expected to sign an executive order Wednesday to free up federal funding for school choice programs, Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and Tim Scott introduced a bill that empowers businesses and individuals to fund educational choice.

"Parents want to see their child succeed," Cassidy, R-La., said in a statement about the Educational Choice for Children Act, reported The Daily Signal. "Giving them the ability to make decisions over their child's education puts that child's needs first. More freedom empowers parents and allows American children to thrive in school."

Trump's order directs Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to submit a plan detailing how military families can use Department of Defense funds for school choice, reported CBS News, which obtained a White House document on the upcoming order.

The order will also call on the Department of Education to prioritize school choice through discretionary grant programs and orders the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on how states can use block grants for families and children to support faith-based and private schools.

In addition, the order will direct the Department of Education to issue guidance on how to use federal funding formulas to support K-12 scholarship programs.

Meanwhile, the legislation introduced Wednesday by Cassidy and Scott allows for an incentive for charitable donations to fund scholarships related to public and private education.

"When you give parents a choice, you give kids a better chance at achieving their dreams," said Scott, R-S.C. "By empowering families with more education resources and freedom, this bill will unlock opportunities that have been out of reach for students across America who deserve every chance to succeed and a schooling system that fosters their potential."

The bill is co-sponsored by 22 Senate Republicans, with Reps. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., and Burgess Owens, R-Utah, introducing its companion bill in the House.

The legislation, if passed, will also provide $10 billion in annual tax credits that the Treasury Department will administer to taxpayers, and sets a base amount for each state. It will then distribute credits through a first-come, first-served system.

The bill would allow about 2 million students in elementary or secondary schools, including those who are homeschooled, to be eligible for a scholarship, with funds available to pay for tuition, fees, book supplies, and equipment needed for enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary school.