I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5984 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve 
oversight of private charter management organizations, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2020 
Ms. TLAIB (for herself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. CLAY, Mr. 
DEFAZIO, Ms. DELAURO, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. 
GARCIA of Texas, Ms. HAALAND, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. KELLY 
of Illinois, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KILDEE, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. LEVIN of 
Michigan, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. MOORE, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. OMAR, 
Mr. POCAN, Ms. PORTER, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. RYAN, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Ms. SHALALA, Ms. SLOTKIN, 
Ms. STEVENS, Mr. VELA, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WILD, and Mr. WILSON 
of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 to improve oversight of private charter manage-
ment organizations, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Charter Oversight, Ac-
countability, and Transparency Act’’ or the ‘‘COAT Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT OF PRIVATE CHARTER MANAGEMENT 
ORGANIZATIONS. 
(a) STATE PLAN ASSURANCE.—Section 1111(g) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6311(g)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (M), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (N), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(O) the State educational agency will en-
sure that each contract between a charter 
school located in the State and a private char-
ter management organization for the operation 
or management of the charter school satisfies 
the requirements described in paragraph (5).’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) PRIVATE CHARTER MANAGEMENT ORGANI-
ZATION OVERSIGHT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A contract described 
in paragraph (2)(O) shall require a private 
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‘‘(aa) owns a security; 
‘‘(bb) extends credit; 
‘‘(cc) is a parent, subsidiary, 
or sibling company; or 
‘‘(dd) is under common con-
trol. 
‘‘(ii) BOARD MEETINGS.—The private 
charter management organization shall— 
‘‘(I) hold board meetings that are 
open to the public; 
‘‘(II) one week prior to the date 
of a board meeting, issue a public no-
tice of the meeting; and 
‘‘(III) ensure that board meet-
ings are reasonably accessible to the 
community by holding the meetings 
during a time of day that is reason-
ably convenient for the parents of 
children enrolled in a charter school 
served by the private charter manage-
ment organization. 
‘‘(B) PRIVATE CHARTER MANAGEMENT OR-
GANIZATION
DEFINED.—For purposes of this 
subsection, the term ‘private charter manage-
ment organization’ means a private organiza-
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tion that operates or manages a charter school 
or a network of charter schools linked by cen-
tralized support, operations, and oversight, 
without regard to whether such organization is 
a for-profit or nonprofit organization.’’. 
(b) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY AND REPORT TO CON-
GRESS.—Not later than six months after receiving infor-
mation disclosed pursuant to section 1111(g)(5) of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as added 
by subsection (a), the Secretary of Education shall— 
(1) make available the information on a public 
website of the Department of Education; and 
(2) submit to the Committee on Education and 
Labor of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
of the Senate a report containing the information. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made in 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to contracts entered 
into, renewed, or modified on or after the date of the en-
actment of this Act. 
Æ 
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