Republican U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Jim Banks, R-Ind. introduced a bill to create Education Savings Accounts for the children of active-duty service members.
The bill would amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow parents of eligible military-dependent children to establish Military Education Savings Accounts.
“School choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century, and parents should never have to choose between serving their country and ensuring that their children have access to a quality education,” Cruz said, adding that the bill “will ensure that military families are empowered to choose and secure the right education for their children.”
The bill also “supports military readiness by helping attract and retain top talent, ensuring service members don’t have to sacrifice their children’s education,” Banks said.
It would direct the secretaries of the departments of Education and Defense to carry out the program ‘‘at the request of a parent of an eligible military dependent child, establish an account on behalf of such child … into which the Secretary shall deposit funds” and “establish a procedure under which the parent of the child may use funds in the account to pay for the educational expenses of the child in accordance” with the law, according to the bill language.
It would create ESAs for up to $6,000 to apply to reading, writing, language, mathematics, science and social studies instruction. The amount would increase over time in accordance with inflation, apply for one academic year and can be renewed, according to the bill language.