H.R. 5181 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Sep 8, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryDC Scholarship Program Expanded and Extended
This bill makes changes to a federal program that gives scholarships to low-income DC families so their kids can attend private schools. The bill extends the program through 2032, adds younger students (pre-K) to those who can get scholarships, and makes it easier for schools to participate by allowing them to get accredited after they start enrolling scholarship students. It also tweaks several rules, like allowing schools more flexibility with how they pick students and letting nonprofits running the program have board members from the wider DC area instead of just DC itself.
How it affects you
If you're a low-income family in Washington, DC, this bill could directly affect you by expanding which private schools your young children can attend through this scholarship program and making more students eligible, including pre-K age kids. Schools in DC participating in the program may have more flexibility in how they operate. For most people outside DC or not connected to this program, this bill has no direct effect.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Sep 8, 2025)
SOAR Act Improvements Act
This bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and modifies the District of Columbia (DC) Opportunity Scholarship Program, which is a federal program that funds private school scholarships for low-income students in DC.
Under the program, the Department of Education (ED) issues grants to nonprofit organizations to pay for income-qualified DC residents to attend DC private elementary or secondary schools of their choice. The bill expands the program to include pre-kindergarten students and authorizes ED to renew grants for up to five years without a new application.
Current law requires nonprofits to ensure that if more scholarship students apply to a particular school than the school can accommodate, students will be randomly selected for admission. The bill specifies that this only applies if random selection would not interfere with the school's regular admission standards or procedures.
Current law also requires schools to be properly accredited in order to participate in the program (i.e., enroll scholarship students). The bill authorizes a nonparticipating school to enroll scholarship students provided it obtains accreditation within five years of first pursuing participation in the program.
The bill also makes other administrative changes to the program, including (1) authorizing the majority of voting members of a nonprofit’s board to live in the DC metropolitan area, rather than in DC itself; (2) removing a cap on the use of funds for tutoring students; and (3) directing ED and the mayor of DC to periodically evaluate and publicly report on the program.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 5181
A BILL
SOAR Act Improvements Act
Sponsor: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5) · Introduced Sep 8, 2025 · Education · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 10, 2025: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 20.”
Sections
Sections · 8
- Sec. 1Short titleNo change
- Sec. 2Grant duration and ApplicationsNo change
- Sec. 3Accreditation requirementsNo change
- Sec. 4Use of fundsNo change
- Sec. 5Standardized testing requirementsNo change
- Sec. 6EvaluationsNo change
- Sec. 7Report by entity receiving fundsNo change
- Sec. 8Extension of authorization of appropriationNo change