Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act
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HR 471 — Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act
Last action — Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 24.
No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.
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✓Introduced
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Died in session
This bill died with 112th Congress. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.
Summary
Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act or SOAR Act - (Sec. 4) Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award five-year grants on a competitive basis to nonprofit organizations to carry out a program to provide expanded school choice opportunities to students who are District of Columbia (DC) residents and who come from households: (1) receiving assistance under the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008; or (2) with incomes not exceeding 185% of the poverty line, except in certain grandfathered circumstances. Requires the Secretary to provide funds to the Mayor of the District of Columbia, if the Mayor agrees to specified requirements, for: (1) the DC public schools to improve public education, and (2) the DC public charter schools to improve and expand quality public charter schools. (Sec. 5) Prescribes requirements for schools participating in such grant programs. (Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary to give priority to certain applications, including those of eligible students notified as selected for a scholarship for school year 2009-2010, which was later rescinded by the Secretary. (Sec. 7) Limits the amount of assistance for school year 2011-2012 at $8,000 for grade school students and $12,000 for high school students. (Sec. 8) Prescribes nondiscrimination requirements, with certain exceptions for religiously affiliated and single-sex schools. Requires each participating school to comply with any testing requirements determined necessary for evaluations which use the strongest possible research design for determining the effectiveness of the opportunity scholarship program. Requires the Secretary (through the Institute of Education Sciences of the Department of Education) to administer the nationally norm-referenced standardized test at least one time during a school year for each student receiving a scholarship if a participating school does not administer such test or the Institute does not receive data on such student. (Sec. 9) Requires the Institute to use a grade appropriate, nationally norm-referenced standardized test each school year to assess participating eligible students. (Sec. 12) Repeals the DC School Choice Incentive Act of 2003. Prescribes special rules for funding opportunity scholarships for DC students. (Sec. 14) Authorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2016.
Bill Text
We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.
Read HR 471 on the official United States source →Action History
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Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 24.
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Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
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Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
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On passage Passed by recorded vote: 225 - 195 (Roll no. 204).
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On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 185 - 238 (Roll no. 203).
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The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H2081)
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DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cummings motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment which strikes all after the enacting clause and inserts two sections. Section 1 is entitled "FUNDING FOR DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS". Section 2 is entitled "AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS".
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Mr. Cummings moved to recommit with instructions to Oversight and Government. (consideration: CR H2080-2082; text: CR H2080)
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Point of order raised by Mr. Weiner on the content of the measure. Mr. Weiner stated that the provisions of bill violates clause 10(a) of Rule XXI. The Chair stated that the point of order was not timely.
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H.AMDT.209 On agreeing to the Norton amendment (A002) Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 185 - 237 (Roll no. 202).
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DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 186, the House proceeded with 40 minutes of debate on the Norton substitute amendment.
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H.AMDT.209 Amendment (A002) in the nature of a substitute offered by Ms. Norton. (consideration: CR H2074-2075, H2079; text: CR H2074-2075)Amendment sought to insert a complete new text entitled "Public Funds for Public Education Act" which would have redirected the funds contained in H.R. 471 on a 50% to the District of Columbia public charter schools and 50% to the District of Columbia public schools basis.
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DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 471.
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Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 471 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. A specified amendment is in order. The amendment recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived.
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Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 186. (consideration: CR H2060-2082; text of measure as reported in House: CR H2060-2063)
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Rule H. Res. 186 passed House.
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Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 186 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 471 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. A specified amendment is in order. The amendment recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived.
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Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 17.
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Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 112-36.
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Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 21 - 14.
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Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives .
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Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Sponsors
- John Boehner · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on
Sponsors (1)
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (546)
546 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 546 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does HR 471 do?
- Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act or SOAR Act - (Sec. 4) Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award five-year grants on a competitive basis to nonprofit organizations to carry out a program to provide expanded school choice opportunities to students who are District of Columbia (DC) residents and who come from households: (1) receiving assistance under the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008; or (2) with incomes not exceeding 185% of the poverty line, except in certain grandfathered circumstances. Requires the Secretary to provide funds to the Mayor of the District of Columbia, if the Mayor agrees to specified requirements, for: (1) the DC public schools to improve public education, and (2) the DC public charter schools to improve and expand quality public charter schools. (Sec. 5) Prescribes requirements for schools participating in such grant programs. (Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary to give priority to certain applications, including those of eligible students notified as selected for a scholarship for school year 2009-2010, which was later rescinded by the Secretary. (Sec. 7) Limits the amount of assistance for school year 2011-2012 at $8,000 for grade school students and $12,000 for high school students. (Sec. 8) Prescribes nondiscrimination requirements, with certain exceptions for religiously affiliated and single-sex schools. Requires each participating school to comply with any testing requirements determined necessary for evaluations which use the strongest possible research design for determining the effectiveness of the opportunity scholarship program. Requires the Secretary (through the Institute of Education Sciences of the Department of Education) to administer the nationally norm-referenced standardized test at least one time during a school year for each student receiving a scholarship if a participating school does not administer such test or the Institute does not receive data on such student. (Sec. 9) Requires the Institute to use a grade appropriate, nationally norm-referenced standardized test each school year to assess participating eligible students. (Sec. 12) Repeals the DC School Choice Incentive Act of 2003. Prescribes special rules for funding opportunity scholarships for DC students. (Sec. 14) Authorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2016.
- Who sponsors HR 471?
- HR 471 is sponsored by John Boehner (R).
- What is the current status of HR 471?
- This bill died with 112th Congress. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
- Where can I track HR 471?
- Track HR 471 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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