I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5959 
To expand opportunity through greater choice in education, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 12, 2021 
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee 
on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To expand opportunity through greater choice in education, 
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 ‘‘Creating Hope and 
Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through 
Education Act’’ or the ‘‘CHOICE Act’’. 
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TITLE 
I—EDUCATION 
PORT-
ABILITY 
FOR 
INDIVIDUALS 
WITH DISABILITIES 
SEC. 101. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this title is to provide options to 
States to innovate and improve the education of children 
with disabilities by expanding the choices for students and 
parents under the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.). 
SEC. 102. AMENDMENTS TO THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DIS-
ABILITIES EDUCATION ACT. 
(a) CHILDREN ENROLLED IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS BY 
THEIR PARENTS.—Section 612(a)(10)(A) of the Individ-
uals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
1412(a)(10)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(viii) PARENT OPTION PROGRAM.—If 
a State has established a program that 
meets 
the 
requirements 
of 
section 
663(c)(11) (whether statewide or in limited 
areas of the State) and that allows a par-
ent of a child described in section 
663(c)(11)(A) to use public funds, or pri-
vate 
funds 
in 
accordance 
with 
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633(c)(11)(B)(ii), to pay some or all of the 
costs of attendance at a private school— 
‘‘(I) funds allocated to the State 
under section 611 may be used by the 
State to supplement such public or 
private funds, if the Federal funds are 
distributed to parents who make a 
genuine independent choice as to the 
appropriate school for their child, ex-
cept that in no case shall the amount 
of Federal funds provided under this 
subclause to a parent of a child with 
a disability for a year exceed the total 
amount of tuition, fees, and transpor-
tation costs for the child for the year; 
‘‘(II) the authorization of a par-
ent to exercise this option fulfills the 
State’s obligation under paragraph (1) 
with respect to the child during the 
period in which the child is enrolled in 
the selected school; and 
‘‘(III) a selected school accepting 
such funds shall not be required to 
carry out any of the requirements of 
this title with respect to such child.’’. 
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(b) RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TO IMPROVE SERV-
ICES
AND RESULTS
FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABIL-
ITIES.—Section 663(c) of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1463(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(11) supporting the post-award planning and 
design, and the initial implementation (which may 
include costs for informing the community, acquiring 
necessary equipment and supplies, and other initial 
operational costs), during a period of not more than 
3 years, of State programs that allow the parent of 
a child with a disability to make a genuine inde-
pendent choice of the appropriate public or private 
school for their child, if the program— 
‘‘(A) requires that the child be a child who 
has received an initial evaluation described in 
section 614(a) and has been identified as a 
child with a disability, in accordance with part 
B; 
‘‘(B)(i) permits the parent to receive from 
the State funds to be used to pay some or all 
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