H.R. 5517 · 114th Congress
Local Education Freedom Act of 2016
Key: what the circles and colors mean
Each circle is a bill. The ring fills as it moves through Congress:
Under the number: the Yea · Nay count of its final (or latest) recorded vote. On a member's page, the small badge is how that member voted: Y Yea / Aye, N Nay / No, P Present, – Not voting.
Gold and violet are only for Yea and Nay; they never mean a party. A member's party is the letter on their photo.
Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 114th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
R
LummisSponsor2 cosponsors · 2 R
2 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill requires a state to carry out an education voucher program as a condition of receiving federal funds for elementary and secondary education.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Jun 16, 2016
Local Education Freedom Act of 2016
This bill requires a state to carry out an education voucher program as a condition of receiving federal funds for elementary and secondary education.
Through the program, a parent of an eligible child may enter into an agreement with a state educational agency (SEA) if the child's school receives federal funds on the condition of implementing a federal mandate with which the parent disagrees. An SEA shall: (1) provide an education savings account to each eligible child whose parent enters into such an agreement, and (2) disburse to each account an amount equal to the state's average per-pupil expenditure.
The funds in an education savings account may be used only for:
- tuition and fees for a qualifying provider;
- textbooks, supplemental materials, and supplies;
- specified examination fees;
- transportation;
- a contribution to a qualified tuition program or specified education savings account; and
- other education expenses approved by the SEA.
A "qualifying provider" is an SEA-approved entity that complies with specified requirements and is: (1) a public or nonpublic school; (2) a home school, provided that the eligible child was enrolled in a public school during the previous academic year; (3) a tutoring facility; (4) a provider of distance learning or specialized instructional support services; or (5) an institution of higher education.
In general, a qualified provider may not discriminate against program participants or applicants on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex. However, the prohibition on sex discrimination shall not apply to religiously affiliated providers to the extent that such application is inconsistent with the provider's religious tenets or beliefs.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Local Education Freedom Act of 2016
Latest action (Sep 19, 2016): Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Policy area: Education · Origin: House · Introduced: Jun 16, 2016
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.