EXCLUSIVE: GOP Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Expand School Choice

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Tim Scott of South Carolina are celebrating National School Choice Week by introducing a bill to empower businesses and individuals to fund education choice for students.

Introduced Wednesday, the Educational Choice for Children Act provides a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to fund scholarships for students to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education. National School Choice Week began Monday.

“Parents want to see their child succeed. Giving them the ability to make decisions over their child’s education puts that child’s needs first,” Cassidy said in a statement first provided to The Daily Signal. “More freedom empowers parents and allows American children to thrive in school.”

The bill has 22 Republican co-sponsors in the Senate. Reps. Adrian Smith of Nebraska and Burgess Owens of Utah introduced the companion bill in the House.

“When you give parents a choice, you give kids a better chance at achieving their dreams,” Scott said. “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 provides $10 billion in annual tax credits for the Treasury Department to administer to taxpayers. It sets a base amount for each state, then distributes the credits on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Scott, Cassidy, and Smith’s bill takes a “limited government” approach to school choice, avoiding mandates on states, localities, and school districts.

“Giving students a brighter future, no matter their background or address, is critical to move American K-12 education forward,” Smith said. “We must empower parents with more options, acknowledging they have the final say in what educational setting is best for their children.”

About 2 million students in any elementary or secondary education setting, including homeschool, are eligible to receive a scholarship, according to the press release. Scholarship awards can be used to fund tuition, fees, book supplies, and equipment for enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary school.

President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order on Wednesday expanding school choice where the federal government has jurisdiction, CBS News reported.