Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education Act or the CHOICE Act
This bill expands school choice programs for elementary and secondary school students.
The bill specifies that a student in the District of Columbia must, in order to qualify for an opportunity scholarship, be currently enrolled, or be enrolled for the next school year, in a public or private elementary or secondary school.
The bill also authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to support the design and implementation of state programs that allow the parent of a child with a disability to choose the appropriate public or private school for their child. It also outlines the requirements for program eligibility.
Further, if the state has established a program that allows parents to use public or private funds to assist with the cost of their child attending a private school, then the state may supplement those funds with federal special education funds.
Additionally, the Department of Defense must carry out a five-year pilot program to award scholarships to enable military dependent students who live on military installations to attend the public or private elementary or secondary schools their parents choose.
The bill also requires ED to return to the Treasury specified amounts made available for salaries and expenses.