Senator Scott Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Permanently Authorize SOAR Act

WASHINGTON — U.S. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Senators Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.),  and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) introduced legislation Wednesday to permanently authorize the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act, and ensure that students and their families in the District of Columbia have continued choice and increased opportunity for their education through the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OPS). 

“Having grown up in neighborhoods that would have benefited from school choice, I know firsthand the amazing opportunities that can be opened for children when they’re afforded that opportunity,” said Sen. Tim Scott. “I have visited multiple schools in Washington that utilize the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, and know for a fact that parents and students see it as an absolute blessing. I look forward to permanently authorizing the SOAR Act and continuing to open doors for some of our most overlooked communities.”

Background: 

• Permanently authorizes Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act funding for District of Columbia public schools, public charter schools, and Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) schools.

• Updates accreditation language from the previous list of accreditors noted in the School Reform Act of 1995 and replaces it with the Student and Visitor Exchange English Language Program list – a list that is administered by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and is more current, consistently monitored, and federally approved to ensure accreditors for the federally-funded D.C. OSP remain current and well vetted.

Bill text can be found here. 

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