Schoolchildren's Assistance Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
Schoolchildren's Assistance Act - Authorizes a 2 year program of financial assistance for all elementary and secondary school children. Declares that it is the intent of Congress to: guarantee the right of the parent to have his child educated in a school of his own choosing; perpetuate freedom of choice at all levels of education; continue the pluralistic system of education presently operative in the United States; avoid direct or indirect contravention of constitutionally guaranteed rights in matters of education; provide equal opportunity for all children; and provide educational opportunity to all children. Prohibits Federal Government officers or employees administering this Act from exercising direction or control over the policy determination, personnel, curriculum, or administration of any school. Authorizes appropriations, without any condition inconsistent with this Act being placed on such appropriations, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1972 in the sum of $5,070,000,000 and for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1973, in the sum of $5,070,000,000. Provides that the sum of $100 shall be allotted annually to each school pupil for the purposes of defraying the costs of his education. Asserts that if a parent or legal guardian declares to the Commissioner of Education his intention to have his ward attend private school, the allotment may be granted to such private school by the Commissioner who has the power to promulgate the rules to protect the interest of the child and of the United States.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on January 3, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on January 3, 1973: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JAMES DELANEY (D-NY) introduced it on January 3, 1973. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on January 3, 1973, 19655 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19655 days ago, on January 3, 1973.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers