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CHOICE Act

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 16, 2019

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

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requires, to qualify for an opportunity scholarship, that a student in the District of Columbia be currently enrolled, or be enrolled for the next school year, in a public or private elementary or secondary school (opportunity scholarships are provided to low-income District students to enable them to attend a participating private school of their choice);

permits states that have established programs allowing the parents of disabled children to use public or private funds for assistance with the cost of their children attending a private school to supplement those funds with federal special education funds; and

authorizes grants to support the design and initial implementation of state programs that allow the parents of a disabled child to choose the appropriate public or private school for their child.

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.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] · R–SC

Committees

  • Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
11 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

  2. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Apr 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Objective

Analyze S.145 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Fairness and public impact

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Examine S.145 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

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Institutions and government scope

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Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.145 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

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