S 1795

0likes☆Favorite🔕SubscribeShare

Introduced ↻ Update bill dataRe-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click. Contact your reps Urge the sponsor

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 15, 2025

Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr. Bennet) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To modify the program of grants to support high-quality charter schools.

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 “Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act”.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Section 4303 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221b) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking “and” after the semicolon; and

(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:

“(2)(A) provide technical assistance to eligible applicants and authorized public chartering agencies in carrying out the activities described in paragraph (1);

“(B) work with authorized public chartering agencies in the State to improve authorizing quality, including developing capacity for, and conducting, fiscal oversight and auditing of charter schools; and

“(C) at the State entity’s discretion—

“(i) fund a revolving loan fund or similar mechanisms for expenses under subsection (h) prior to an eligible applicant receiving reimbursement; and

“(ii) provide assistance to eligible applicants in locating and accessing a facility; and

“(3) provide pre-charter planning subgrants (in amounts of no more than $100,000 per prospective applicant) to charter school developers that—

“(A) intend to submit an application—

“(i) to an authorized public chartering agency to operate a charter school; or

“(ii) to nonprofit or public entities for the provision of financial support to such developers;

“(B) are led by educators who—

“(i) have not less than 54 months of school-based experience (which may include experience in teaching in or administering after school or summer school programs); and

“(ii) have demonstrated leadership competencies and success with students, as determined by the State entity; and

“(C) have successfully completed the development of an initial plan for opening a charter school, as evidenced by a description of the educational needs of the community in which the proposed charter school will be located and how the proposed charter school will be suited to meet those needs.”;

(2) in subsection (c)(1)—

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “90 percent” and inserting “80 percent”;

(B) in subparagraph (B)—

(i) by striking “not less than 7 percent” and inserting “not more than 10 percent”; and

(ii) by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(C) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D);

(D) in subparagraph (D), as so redesignated, by striking “3 percent” and inserting “5 percent”; and

(E) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:

“(C) reserve not more than 5 percent of such funds to carry out the activities described in subsection

(b)(3); and”;

(3) in subsection (d)(1)(B), by striking “this section” and inserting “subsection (b)(1)”;

(4) in subsection (e)(2), by striking “this section” and inserting “subsection (b)(1)”;

(5) in subsection (f)(1)(A)(vi)—

(A) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by inserting “under subsection (b)(1)” after “program”; and

(B) in subclause (II), by striking “subgrant funds under this section” and inserting “subgrant funds under subsection (b)(1)”; and

(6) in subsection (h), in the matter preceding paragraph

(1), by striking “this section” and inserting “subsection

(b)(1)”. <all>