WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has thrown his support behind a bill that would expand opportunities for students with greater choices in education. The “Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education (CHOICE) Act,” S. 1909, is sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.

“The CHOICE Act would allow families more flexibility and give them a greater role in shaping their children’s educational development,” Wicker said. “This is a significant step toward making high-quality education available to students who otherwise wouldn’t have a say in their educational futures.”

Under the CHOICE Act:

• The “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)” would be amended to allow students with disabilities to choose which school is best for them, using funds they are already eligible for under current legislation;
• A new program would be created under Department of Defense Impact Aid to provide scholarships to military children living on bases without Department of Defense Education Activity Schools.  The law would impact approximately 200,000 children nationwide, including those on Mississippi military bases; and
• The charter school scholarship program in D.C. would be expanded to utilize existing funds for the more than 22,000 disadvantaged students who are currently on a waitlist.