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HR 2556 108th Congress House

DC Parental Choice Incentive Act of 2003

Official title: To provide low-income parents residing in the District of Columbia, particularly parents of students who attend elementary or secondary schools identified for … Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To provide low-income parents residing in the District of Columbia, particularly parents of students who attend elementary or secondary schools identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, with expanded opportunities for enrolling their children in higher-performing schools in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

Introduced: June 23, 2003 See on congress.gov
Education Academic performanceChurch and educationCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCongress
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Congressional reporting requirementsCrime and Law EnforcementDiscrimination in educationDistrict of ColumbiaDropoutsEducation of the disadvantagedEducational accountabilityEducational statisticsElementary and secondary educationElementary educationFamiliesFederal aid to educationGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment paperworkIncomeIncome taxParent-school relationshipsPublic schoolsReligionReligious libertyScholarshipsSchool choiceSchool disciplineSchool securitySecondary educationSex discriminationSocial WelfareTax exclusionTaxationViolenceWelfare eligibilityWomen
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) 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
Jul 10, 2003
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jul 10, 2003
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 22 - 21.
Jun 23, 2003
Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.
Jun 23, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1326)
Jun 23, 2003
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 10, 2003

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 22 - 21.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

DC Parental Choice Incentive Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to eligible entities to provide students from low-income families in the District of Columbia (DC) with scholarships to enable them to attend the DC private elementary or secondary school of their choice.

Requires priority to be given to applications from eligible entities which will most effectively: (1) give priority to eligible students who attend an elementary or secondary school identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under specified provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; (2) target resources to students and families that lack the financial resources to take advantage of available educational options; (3) provide students and families with the widest range of educational options; and (4) serve students of varying age and grade levels. Makes DC public educational entities, or nonprofit organizations and consortia, eligible to apply for such grants. Allows award of a single grant or multiple grants for up to five years.

Allows scholarship payments to parents in varying amounts according to need, up to $7,500, to cover costs of tuition, fees, and transportation expenses. Requires scholarships to be considered assistance to the student, not to the school, and to be treated as parental income.

Allows a parent to choose, and a school to offer, a single-sex school, class, or activity. Allows religiously affiliated schools to participate in the program and use funds made available under this Act: (1) for religious education purposes; and (2) to employ persons of the same religion. Allows such a school to: (1) take sex into account consistent with its religious tenets or beliefs; (2) have religious art, icons, scriptures, or other symbols in the school, religious terms in its name, and religious references in its mission statements and other chartering or governing documents; and (3) select its board members on a religious basis.

Requires each school that chooses to participate in the program to accept participating eligible students: (1) on a first-come, first-served basis; or (2) if the school cannot accommodate all such students that seek admission, through a random selection process.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2556: DC Parental Choice Incentive Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-2556/
MLA
"H.R. 2556: DC Parental Choice Incentive Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-2556/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2556, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-2556/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2556: DC Parental Choice Incentive Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-2556/)
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