II 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 10 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
OCTOBER 22, 2015 
Received 
AN ACT 
To reauthorize the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results 
Act, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES IN ACT. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthoriza-
tion Act’’ or the ‘‘SOAR Reauthorization Act’’. 
(b) REFERENCES IN ACT.—Whenever in this Act an 
amendment is expressed in terms of an amendment to or 
repeal of a section or other provision, the reference shall 
be considered to be made to that section or other provision 
of the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (divi-
sion C of Public Law 112–10; sec. 38–1853.01 et seq., 
D.C. Official Code). 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Parents are best equipped to make decisions 
for their children, including the educational setting 
that will best serve the interests and educational 
needs of their children. 
(2) In 1995, Congress passed the DC School 
Reform Act, which granted the District of Columbia 
the authority to create public charter schools and 
gave parents greater educational options for their 
children. 
(3) In 2003, in partnership with the Mayor of 
the District of Columbia, the chairman of the DC 
Council Education Committee, and community activ-
ists, Congress passed the DC School Choice Incen-
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tive Act of 2003 (Public Law 108–199; 118 Stat. 
126), to provide opportunity scholarships to parents 
of students in the District of Columbia to enable 
them to pursue a high-quality education at a private 
elementary or secondary school of their choice. 
(4) The DC Opportunity Scholarship Program 
(DC OSP) was part of a comprehensive three-part 
funding arrangement that provided additional funds 
for both the District of Columbia public schools and 
public charter schools of the District of Columbia. 
The intent behind the additional resources was to 
ensure both District of Columbia public and charter 
schools continued to improve. 
(5) In 2011, Congress enacted the three-part 
funding arrangement when it reauthorized the DC 
OSP and passed the Scholarships for Opportunity 
and Results (SOAR) Act (division C of Public Law 
112–10) with bipartisan support. 
(6) While the National Center for Education 
Statistics indicates that per pupil expenditure for 
public schools in the District of Columbia is the 
highest in the United States, performance on the 
National 
Assessment 
of 
Educational 
Progress 
(NAEP) continues to be near the bottom of the 
country when examining scores in mathematics and 
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reading for fourth and eighth grades. When Con-
gress passed the DC School Choice Incentive Act of 
2003, students in the District of Columbia ranked 
52 out of 52 States (including the Department of 
Defense schools). Since that time, the District of Co-
lumbia has made significant gains in mathematics 
and reading. However, students in the District of 
Columbia still rank in the bottom three States out 
of 52 States. According to the 2013 fourth grade 
math NAEP results, 34 percent of students are 
below basic, 38 percent are at basic, and 28 percent 
are at proficient or advanced. The 2013 fourth 
grade reading results found that 50 percent of 
fourth grade students in the District of Columbia 
are at or below basic, 27 percent are at basic, and 
23 percent are proficient or advanced. 
(7) Since the inception of the DC OSP, there 
has been strong demand for the program by parents 
and the citizens of the District of Columbia. In fact, 
74 percent of District of Columbia residents support 
continuing the program (based on the Lester & As-
sociates February 2011 Poll). 
(8) Since the program’s inception, parental sat-
isfaction has remained high. The program has also 
been found to result in significantly higher gradua-
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tion rates for those students who have received and 
used their opportunity scholarships. 
(9) The DC OSP offers low-income families in 
the District of Columbia important educational al-
ternatives while public schools are improved. The 
program should continue to be reauthorized as part 
of a three-part comprehensive funding strategy for 
the District of Columbia school system providing 
equal funding for public schools, public charter 
schools, and opportunity scholarships for students to 
attend private schools. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to amend 
the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to pro-
vide low-income parents residing in the District of Colum-
bia with expanded educational opportunities for enrolling 
their children in other schools in the District of Columbia, 
and provide resources to support educational reforms for 
District of Columbia Public Schools and District of Co-
lumbia public charter schools. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITING IMPOSITION OF LIMITS ON TYPES OF 
ELIGIBLE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE 
PROGRAM. 
Section 3004(a) (sec. 38–1853.04(a), D.C. Official 
Code) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
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‘‘(3) PROHIBITING IMPOSITION OF LIMITS ON 
ELIGIBLE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the 
program under this division, the Secretary may 
not limit the number of eligible students receiv-
ing scholarships under section 3007(a), and 
may not prevent otherwise eligible students 
from participating in the program under this 
Act, on any of the following grounds: 
‘‘(i) The type of school the student 
previously attended. 
‘‘(ii) Whether or not the student pre-
viously received a scholarship or partici-
pated in the program. 
‘‘(iii) Whether or not the student was 
a member of the control group used by the 
Institute of Education Sciences to carry 
out previous evaluations of the program 
under section 3009. 
‘‘(B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing 
in subparagraph (A) may be construed to waive 
the requirement under section 3005(b)(1)(B) 
that the entity carrying out the program under 
this Act must carry out a random selection 
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process which gives weight to the priorities de-
scribed in section 3006 if more eligible students 
seek admission in the program than the pro-
gram can accommodate.’’. 
SEC. 4. REQUIRING ELIGIBLE ENTITIES TO UTILIZE INTER-
NAL FISCAL AND QUALITY CONTROLS. 
Section 3005(b)(1) (sec. 38–1853.05(b)(1), D.C. Of-
ficial Code) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (K); and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(M) how the entity will ensure that it uti-
lizes internal fiscal and quality controls; and’’. 
SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF PRIORITIES FOR AWARDING 
SCHOLARSHIPS TO DETERMINING ELIGIBLE 
STUDENTS. 
Section 3006(1) (sec. 38–1853.06(1), D.C. Official 
Code) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘identified 
for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring 
under section 1116 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘identified as one of the lowest-per-
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forming schools under the District of Columbia’s ac-
countability system’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the semi-
colon at the end and inserting the following: ‘‘, or 
whether such students have, in the past, attended a 
private school;’’. 
SEC. 6. MODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICI-
PATING SCHOOLS AND ELIGIBLE ENTITIES. 
(a) CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS; COMPLIANCE 
WITH REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Section 3007(a)(4) 
(sec. 38–1853.07(a)(4), D.C. Official Code) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (E); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (F) and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(G) conducts criminal background checks 
on school employees who have direct and unsu-
pervised interaction with students; and 
‘‘(H) complies with all requests for data 
and information regarding the reporting re-
quirements described in section 3010.’’. 
(b) ACCREDITATION.—Section 3007(a) (sec. 38– 
1853.07(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘paragraphs 
(2) and (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (2), (3), and 
(5)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—None of the funds 
provided under this division for opportunity 
scholarships may be used by an eligible student 
to enroll in a participating private school unless 
one of the following applies: 
‘‘(i) In the case of a school that, as of 
the date of enactment of the SOAR Reau-
thorization Act, is a participating school, 
the school is provisionally or fully accred-
ited by an accrediting body described in 
subparagraphs (A) through (G) of section 
2202(16) of the District of Columbia 
School Reform Act of 1995 (sec. 38– 
1802.02(16)(A–G), D.C. Official Code). 
‘‘(ii) In the case of a school that, as 
of the day before the date of enactment of 
the SOAR Reauthorization Act, is a par-
ticipating school but does not meet the re-
quirements of clause (i)— 
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‘‘(I) not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of such Act, the 
school is pursuing full accreditation 
by an accrediting body described in 
clause (i); and 
‘‘(II) not later than 5 years after 
the date of enactment of such Act, the 
school meets the requirements of 
clause (i), except that an eligible enti-
ty may extend this deadline for a sin-
gle 1-year period if the school provides 
the eligible entity with evidence from 
such an accrediting body that the 
school’s application for accreditation 
is in process and that the school will 
be awarded accreditation before the 
end of such period. 
‘‘(iii) In the case of a school that, as 
of the date of enactment of the SOAR Re-
authorization Act, is not a participating 
school, the school meets the requirements 
of clause (i) or, if it does not meet the re-
quirements of clause (i)— 
‘‘(I) at the time the school noti-
fies an eligible entity that it seeks to 
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be a participating school, the school is 
actively pursuing full accreditation by 
an accrediting body described in 
clause (i); 
‘‘(II) not later than 5 years after 
the school notifies an eligible entity 
that it seeks to be a participating 
school, the school meets the require-
ments of clause (i), except that an eli-
gible entity may extend this deadline 
for a single 1-year period if the school 
provides the eligible entity with evi-
dence from such an accrediting body 
that the school’s application for ac-
creditation is in process and that the 
school will be awarded accreditation 
before the end of such period; and 
‘‘(III) the school meets all of the 
other requirements for participating 
schools under this Act. 
‘‘(B) REPORTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—Not 
later than 5 years after the date of enactment 
of the SOAR Reauthorization Act, each partici-
pating school shall submit to the eligible entity 
a certification that the school has been fully or 
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provisionally accredited in accordance with sub-
paragraph (A), or has been granted an exten-
sion by the eligible entity in accordance with 
subparagraph (A)(ii)(II). 
‘‘(C) ASSISTING STUDENTS IN ENROLLING 
IN OTHER SCHOOLS.—If a participating school 
fails to meet the requirements of subparagraph 
(A), the eligible entity shall assist the parents 
of the eligible students who attend the school in 
identifying, applying to, and enrolling in an-
other participating school under this Act.’’. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES 
AND PARENTAL ASSISTANCE.—Section 3007 (sec. 38– 
1853.07, D.C. Official Code) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsections (b) and (c) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
AND PARENTAL 
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall make $2,000,000 of 
the amount provided under the grant each year available 
to an eligible entity receiving a grant under section 
3004(a) to cover the following expenses: 
‘‘(1) The administrative expenses of carrying 
out its program under this Act during the year, in-
cluding— 
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‘‘(A) determining the eligibility of students 
to participate; 
‘‘(B) selecting the eligible students to re-
ceive scholarships; 
‘‘(C) determining the amount of the schol-
arships and issuing the scholarships to eligible 
students; 
‘‘(D) compiling and maintaining financial 
and programmatic records; and 
‘‘(E) conducting site visits as described in 
section 3005(b)(1)(l). 
‘‘(2) The expenses of educating parents about 
the entity’s program under this Act, and assisting 
parents through the application process under this 
Act, including— 
‘‘(A) providing information about the pro-
gram and the participating schools to parents 
of eligible students; 
‘‘(B) providing funds to assist parents of 
students in meeting expenses that might other-
wise preclude the participation of eligible stu-
dents in the program; and 
‘‘(C) streamlining the application process 
for parents.’’; and 
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(2) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (c). 
(d) CLARIFICATION OF USE OF FUNDS FOR STU-
DENT ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE.—Section 3007(c) (sec. 38– 
1853.07(c), D.C. Official Code), as redesignated by sub-
section (c)(2), is amended by striking ‘‘identified for im-
provement, corrective action, or restructuring under sec-
tion 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316)’’ and inserting ‘‘identified 
as one of the lowest-performing schools under the District 
of Columbia’s accountability system’’. 
(e) PERMITTING USE OF FUNDS REMAINING UNOB-
LIGATED FROM PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS.—Section 3007 
(sec. 38–1853.07, D.C. Official Code), as amended by this 
section, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(d) PERMITTING USE OF FUNDS REMAINING UN-
OBLIGATED FROM PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS.—To the ex-
tent that any funds appropriated for the opportunity 
scholarship program under this Act for any fiscal year (in-
cluding a fiscal year occurring prior to the enactment of 
this subsection) remain unobligated at the end of the fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall make such funds available during 
the next fiscal year and (if still unobligated as of the end 
of that fiscal year) any subsequent fiscal year for scholar-
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