RECOVER Act
Bill: H.R.8671 | Sponsor: Rep. Owens, Burgess (R-UT)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Raising Expectations with Child Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery Act or the RECOVER Act
This bill directs local educational agencies to use certain federal COVID-19 relief funds to address student learning loss by distributing direct financial assistance (i.e., Child Opportunity Scholarships) to the parent or guardian of an eligible student for certain qualified educational expenses (e.g., educational materials, tutoring, or private school tuition). Eligible student refers to a child who is a member of a household with an income that is not more than 300% of the federal poverty level.

To allow the use of unspent educational funds under the American Rescue 
   Plan Act of 2021 to address pandemic learning loss through Child 
                       Opportunity Scholarships.

    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 ``Raising Expectations with Child 
Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery Act'' or the ``RECOVER 
Act''.

SEC. 2. USE OF UNOBLIGATED AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS FOR CHILD 
              OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS.

    Section 2001 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C. 
3401 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (e)(1)--
                    (A) by striking ``through the implementation of'' 
                and inserting ``through--
                    ``(A) the implementation of'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A), as designated by 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, by striking ``; 
                and'' and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A), as 
                designated by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the 
                following:
                    ``(B) the distribution of Child Opportunity 
                Scholarships; and'';
            (2) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding after paragraph (4) the following:
            ``(5) may use any remaining amounts to distribute Child 
        Opportunity Scholarships.''; and
            (3) in subsection (h)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 
                paragraphs (4) and (6), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) the term `Child Opportunity Scholarship' means direct 
        financial assistance to the parent or guardian of an eligible 
        student for a qualified educational expense in an amount 
        reasonably commensurate to the negative educational impact 
        intended to be addressed;
            ``(3) the term `eligible student' means a child who is a 
        member of a household with an income which is not greater than 
        300 percent of the Federal poverty level;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (4), as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon; and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (4), as 
                redesignated by subparagraph (A), the following:
            ``(5) the term `qualified educational expense' includes 
        tutoring or educational classes outside the home, curriculum 
        and curricular materials, books or instructional materials, 
        technological education materials, online educational 
        materials, private school tuition, testing fees, diagnostic 
        tools, and educational therapies for students with 
        disabilities; and''.
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