[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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