[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5056-S5057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2817. Mr. JOHNSON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle H of title X, insert the following:

     SEC. 1096. SOAR PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION ACT.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``SOAR 
     Permanent Authorization Act''.
       (b) Amendments to the SOAR Act.--The Scholarships for 
     Opportunity and Results Act (division C of Public Law 112-10) 
     is amended--
       (1) in section 3007 (sec. 38-1853.07 D.C. Official Code)--
       (A) in subsection (a)(5)(A)(i), by striking subclause (I) 
     and inserting the following:

       ``(I) is fully accredited by an accrediting body with 
     jurisdiction in the District of Columbia or that is 
     recognized by the Student and Visitor Exchange English 
     Language Program administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs 
     Enforcement; or'';

       (B) by striking subsection (c) and redesignating subsection 
     (d) as subsection (c);
       (C) in subsection (b)--
       (i) in the subsection heading, by striking ``and Parental 
     Assistance'' and inserting ``, Parental Assistance, and 
     Student Academic Assistance'';
       (ii) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``$2,000,000'' and inserting ``$2,200,000''; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) The expenses of providing tutoring service to 
     participating eligible students that need additional academic 
     assistance. If there are insufficient funds to provide 
     tutoring services to all such students in a year, the 
     eligible entity shall give priority in such year to students 
     who previously attended an elementary school or secondary 
     school identified as one of the lowest-performing schools 
     under the District of Columbia's accountability system.''; 
     and
       (D) in subsection (c), as redesignated by subparagraph 
     (B)--
       (i) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``subsections (b) and 
     (c)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (3), by striking ``subsections (b) and 
     (c)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)'';
       (2) in section 3008(h) (sec. 38-1853.08(h) D.C. Official 
     Code)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``section 
     3009(a)(2)(A)(i)'' and inserting ``section 3009(a)'';
       (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
       ``(2) Administration of tests.--The Institute of Education 
     Sciences may administer assessments to students participating 
     in the evaluation under section 3009(a) for the purpose of 
     conducting the evaluation under such section.''; and
       (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``the nationally norm-
     referenced standardized test described in paragraph (2)'' and 
     inserting ``a nationally norm-referenced standardized test'';
       (3) in section 3009(a) (sec. 38-1853.09(a) D.C. Official 
     Code)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``annually'' and 
     inserting ``regularly'';
       (B) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking clause (i) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(i) is rigorous; and''; and
       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``impact of the 
     program'' and all that follows through the end of the 
     subparagraph and inserting ``impact of the program on 
     academic progress and educational attainment.'';
       (C) in paragraph (3)--
       (i) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``on education'' 
     and inserting ``of education'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A)--

       (I) by inserting ``the academic progress of'' after 
     ``assess''; and
       (II) by striking ``in each of grades 3'' and all that 
     follows through the end of the subparagraph and inserting ``; 
     and'';

       (iii) by striking subparagraph (B); and
       (iv) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B); 
     and
       (D) in paragraph (4)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A)--

       (I) by striking ``A comparison of the academic achievement 
     of participating eligible

[[Page S5057]]

     students who use an opportunity scholarship on the 
     measurements described in paragraph (3)(B) to the academic 
     achievement'' and inserting ``The academic progress of 
     participating eligible students who use an opportunity 
     scholarship compared to the academic progress''; and
       (II) by inserting ``, which may include students'' after 
     ``students with similar backgrounds'';

       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``increasing the 
     satisfaction of such parents and students with their choice'' 
     and inserting ``those parents' and students' satisfaction 
     with the program'';
       (iii) by striking subparagraph (D) through (F) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(D) The high school graduation rates, college enrollment 
     rates, college persistence rates, and college graduation 
     rates of participating eligible students who use an 
     opportunity scholarship compared with the rates of public 
     school students described in subparagraph (A), to the extent 
     practicable.
       ``(E) The college enrollment rates, college persistence 
     rates, and college graduation rates of students who 
     participated in the program as the result of winning the 
     Opportunity Scholarship Program lottery compared to the 
     enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates for students 
     who entered but did not win such lottery and who, as a 
     result, served as the control group for previous evaluations 
     of the program under this division. Nothing in this 
     subparagraph may be construed to waive section 
     3004(a)(3)(A)(iii) with respect to any such student.
       ``(F) The safety of the schools attended by participating 
     eligible students who use an opportunity scholarship compared 
     with the schools attended by public school students described 
     in subparagraph (A), to the extent practicable.''; and
       (iv) in subparagraph (G), by striking ``achievement'' and 
     inserting ``progress''; and
       (4) in section 3014 (sec. 38-1853.14, D.C. Official Code)--
       (A) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
     (1), by striking ``$60,000,000 for fiscal year 2012 and for 
     each fiscal year through fiscal year 2023'' and inserting 
     ``$75,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and for each succeeding 
     fiscal year''; and
       (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``$60,000,000'' and 
     inserting ``$75,000,000''.
                                 ______