3.0.0 2171 2023-01-11T13:29:32Z 2023-01-11T13:29:32Z Senate S 2015-10-08 114 ssga00 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Senate Standing Hearings by 2015-11-04T15:00:00Z Referred to 2015-10-08T16:55:38Z Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act 114 10 HR 2016-07-14 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 561. Related bill CRS 2015-11-04 ssga00 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-525. Committee 2015-10-08 ssga00 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Senate Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S7274-7275) IntroReferral 2015-10-08 Introduced in Senate IntroReferral 10000 9 Library of Congress F000062 Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] Dianne Feinstein D CA N S001184 Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] Tim Scott R SC 2015-10-08 True J000293 Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] Ron Johnson R WI 2015-10-08 True B001288 Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] Cory Booker D NJ 2015-10-08 True Education Academic performance and assessments Accounting and auditing District of Columbia Education programs funding Elementary and secondary education Performance measurement Student aid and college costs Education 00 2015-10-08 Introduced in Senate 2015-11-06T15:12:37Z Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act or the SOAR Reauthorization Act

This bill amends the District of Columbia Code to prohibit the Department of Education from limiting the number of eligible students receiving District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) scholarships, and from preventing otherwise eligible students from participating in the OSP because of:

  • whether or not the student attended a private school for pre-elementary education in the previous school year; or
  • whether or not the individual previously received a scholarship or participated in OSP, or was a member of the control group used by the Institute of Education Sciences to carry out previous OSP evaluations.

An eligible nonprofit organization's application for an OSP grant must include how it will ensure that it utilizes internal fiscal and quality controls.

Priorities for the award of scholarships to eligible students are modified to give priority to students who, in the preceding school year, attended a school identified as low-achieving according to the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) (currently certain elementary or secondary schools identified for improvements, corrective action, or restructuring).

OSP-participating schools must:

  • conduct criminal background checks on school employees who have direct and unsupervised interactions with students, and
  • comply with all requests for data and information regarding certain reporting requirements.

Participating private schools must be provisionally or fully accredited or in the process of seeking accreditation.

The Department must make OSP funds available to eligible entities receiving a grant for administrative expenses and parental education and assistance, including streamlining of the application process.

Previously unobligated OSP funds must be used to award new scholarships to students.

The current OSP evaluation procedures under the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (SOAR) are terminated and replaced with those specified in this Act.

The Department may withhold specified OSP funds provided to the DC Mayor for DC public and charter schools for noncompliance with SOAR requirements.

Funds provided under this Act to support DC public charter schools may be directed to the OSSE, which may transfer them to subgrantees that are:

  • specific DC public charter schools in good standing or networks of such schools, or
  • DC-based non-profit organizations with experience in successfully providing support or assistance to such schools or networks.

The Department and the Mayor shall revise the memorandum of understanding in effect to address the need to ensure that participating schools meet fire code standards and maintain certificates of occupancy.

The OSP is reauthorized through FY2021.

]]> SOAR Reauthorization Act Display Title SOAR Reauthorization Act Official Title as Introduced A bill to reauthorize the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act, and for other purposes. Introduced in Senate IS Short Titles as Introduced SOAR Reauthorization Act Short Titles as Introduced Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act Introduced in Senate 2015-10-08T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-114s2171is/xml/BILLS-114s2171is.xml 2015-11-04 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-525. text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.