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H.R. 2724 105th Congress House

Helping Empower Low-income Parents (HELP) Scholarships Amendments of 1997

Official title: To amend title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to give parents with low-incomes the opportunity to choose the appropriate school for their children.

Introduced: October 23, 1997 See on congress.gov
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Depressed areasEconomics and Public FinanceEducation of disadvantaged childrenEducational accountabilityElementary and secondary educationFamiliesFederal aid to educationFinance and Financial SectorGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment service contractsHousing and Community DevelopmentIncome taxParent-school relationshipsPersonal income taxPoor childrenPrivate schoolsRural educationScholarshipsSchool administrationSchool choiceSchool personnelSocial WelfareSparsely populated areasState lawsTax exclusionTaxationTeachers
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This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 7, 1997
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families.
Oct 23, 1997
Referred to House Ways and Means
Oct 23, 1997
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Oct 23, 1997
Referred to House Education and the Workforce
Oct 23, 1997
Introduced in House
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 Latest action November 7, 1997

Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Helping Empower Low-income Parents (HELP) Scholarships Amendments of 1997 - Amends title VI (Innovative Education Program Strategies) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to allow any State that has enacted or will enact a law establishing a voluntary public and private school parental choice scholarship program in compliance with specified ESEA requirements to reserve an additional 15 percent from its annual title IV allotment for use exclusively for such parental choice programs. Requires State educational agencies, except in the case of such programs, to distribute 90 percent (currently 85 percent) of title VI funds to local educational agencies based on criteria which gives priority to low-income families and areas.

Includes such parental choice programs among State and local uses of title VI funds.

Requires such parental choice programs to be located in an area that has the greatest numbers or percentages of children: (1) living in areas with a high concentration of low-income families; (2) from low-income families; or (3) living in sparsely populated areas. Requires such programs to ensure that program participation is limited to families whose family income does not exceed 185 percent of the poverty line.

Directs the Comptroller General to make contracts for annual evaluation of each parental choice program. Requires the Secretary of Education to reserve certain funds for such evaluations.

Provides that title VI funds to establish a parental choice program shall be considered assistance to the student and shall not be considered as assistance to any school that chooses to participate in such program.

Prohibits the Secretary from exercising any direction, supervision, or control over curricula, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any school that chooses to participate in a parental choice program.

Provides that, for purposes of Federal tax laws or for determining eligibility for any other Federal program, a parental choice scholarship shall not be treated as income or assistance to the student or parents.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2724: Helping Empower Low-income Parents (HELP) Scholarships Amendments of 1997. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-2724/
MLA
"H.R. 2724: Helping Empower Low-income Parents (HELP) Scholarships Amendments of 1997." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-2724/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2724, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-2724/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2724: Helping Empower Low-income Parents (HELP) Scholarships Amendments of 1997](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-2724/)
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