S. 1708: Charter School Accountability Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-07-07 · Education · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-07-07 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Charter School Accountability Act of 2015

Plain summary

Charter School Accountability Act of 2015 This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to replace the charter school grant program, through which states receive formula-based grants, with a competitive grant program. The Department of Education (ED) shall award grants to: (1) support the start up of charter schools that have been thoroughly vetted for quality and local impact, and (2) replicate or expand high-quality charter schools. To be eligible to receive grant funding, a state must: have legally binding rules related to fiduciary duties and conflicts of interest of charter school officers, directors, managers, and employees; require all charter schools to annually conduct and publicly disclose independent audits; provide that charter schools are covered by the state's open meetings and open records laws to the same extent as public schools are covered by those laws; have policies in effect that hold charter school authorizers accountable for monitoring a charter school's educational performance and financial operations; and require a charter school to make certain public disclosures related to its operation and funding. The bill also revises the per-pupil facilities aid program, through which ED makes competitive matching grants to states to provide per-pupil financing to charter schools for facility acquisition, construction, and renovation. Specifically, a state may: (1) partner with one or more organizations to provide up to half of the state share of program funding, and (2) receive more than one program grant under specified circumstances. ED must conduct specified national activities, including awarding competitive grants directly to charter school developers in states that have not applied for or received charter school grants.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Charter School Accountability Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s1708.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s1708 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114