[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 186 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8159-H8160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SOAR TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT
Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3237) to amend the SOAR Act by clarifying the scope of coverage
of the Act, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3237
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``SOAR Technical Corrections
Act''.
SEC. 2. USE OF FUNDS.
Section 3007(a)(4)(F) of the Scholarships for Opportunity
and Results Act (Public Law 112-10; 125 Stat. 203) is amended
to read as follows:
``(F) ensures that, with respect to core academic subjects
(as such term is defined in section 9101(11) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801(11)), participating students are taught by a teacher who
has a baccalaureate degree or equivalent degree, whether such
degree was awarded in or outside of the United States.''.
SEC. 3. NATIONALLY NORM-REFERENCED STANDARDIZED TESTS.
Section 3008(h) of the Scholarships for Opportunity and
Results Act (Public Law 112-10; 125 Stat. 205) is amended by
striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) Administration of tests.--The Institute of Education
Sciences shall administer nationally norm-referenced
standardized tests, as described in paragraph (3)(A) of
section 3009(a), to students participating in the evaluation
under section 3009(a) for the purpose of conducting the
evaluation under such section, except where a student is
attending a participating school that is administering the
same nationally norm-referenced standardized test in
accordance with the testing requirements described in
paragraph (1).
``(3) Test results.--Each participating school that
administers the nationally norm-referenced standardized test
described in paragraph (2) to an eligible student shall make
the test results, with respect to such student, available to
the Secretary as necessary for evaluation under section
3009(a).''.
SEC. 4. EVALUATIONS.
Section 3009(a)(3) of the Scholarships for Opportunity and
Results Act (Public Law 112-10; 125 Stat. 206) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the semicolon
the following: ``in a manner consistent with section
3008(h)''; and
[[Page H8160]]
(2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``, if requested by
the Institute of Education Sciences,'' after ``will
participate''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Gowdy) and the gentlewoman from the District of
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina.
General Leave
Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Earlier this year, this body debated and ultimately approved
legislation authorizing scholarships to give needy District of Columbia
students the opportunity to leave their public school and enroll in a
private school of their choice.
Following the House's approval of the SOAR Act, the legislation was
enacted into law as a part of the Department of Defense and Full-Year
Continuing Appropriations Act, which was signed by the President on
April 15.
We are here today because there are several small and technical
modifications that need to be made in order for the scholarship program
to achieve its goal. This legislation would clarify three provisions:
first, the education requirements for teachers of scholarship students;
second, how the nationally norm-referenced test would be administered
in order to properly collect data to study the effectiveness of the
program; and, third, which students participate in the study.
On November 3, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
approved H.R. 3237, the SOAR Technical Corrections Act, by a voice
vote.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank my colleague, Ms. Norton, and
my colleague, Ranking Member Cummings, for working with us to ensure we
had the appropriate language to modify the legislation that is before
us today.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I appreciate Speaker Boehner, Senate Homeland Security and Government
Affairs Committee Chair Lieberman, and Oversight and Government Reform
Chair Issa, as well as my good colleague on the other side of the
aisle, the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Gowdy, I appreciate that all of
them have worked with us and have consulted with us on these technical
changes, and I do not oppose this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I would again thank our colleagues Ms. Norton
and Mr. Cummings, and I urge Members to support the passage of H.R.
3237.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Gowdy) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3237, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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