PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 20, 2016
Educational Freedom Accounts Act
This bill requires the District of Columbia to provide education savings accounts for children who are eligible to receive a free public education in the District, but whose parents choose not to enroll them in a public school or home schooling.
To receive an account, a child must be either entering kindergarten or prekindergarten or have been enrolled in a public school in the District during the previous year.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
The Chief Financial Officer of the District must award a contract to a tax-exempt entity based in the District to administer the program.
The District must fund the accounts with amounts that are adjusted based on the family's income and range from 80% to 90% of the funds that the District of Columbia Public School System would otherwise spend on the child.
Upon the direction of a parent, the administering entity must distribute the funds for educational expenses, including:
tuition at a nonpublic school or for distance education,
tutoring,
curricula or online courses,
special education,
individual courses or extracurricular activities at a public school within the District,
dual credit courses that qualify for both secondary and postsecondary education credit,
examinations,
transportation to and from a provider,
contributions to qualified tuition programs (529 plans) or Coverdell education savings accounts, or
other educational expenses approved by the administering entity.
At the end of the contract period, any remaining balances must be returned to the District.
People & committees
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] · R–TX
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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