Family Education Freedom Act
Encyclopedia
The Family Education Freedom Act is a bill initially introduced in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 by Representative Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...

 (R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

-TX
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

) in 1998. It would allow tax credits for education expenses.

On February 15, 2007, Rep. Paul introduced the Act again in the House, this time with an initial three co-sponsors, Tom Feeney
Tom Feeney
Thomas Charles "Tom" Feeney III, usually known as Tom Feeney , is an American politician from the state of Florida. He represented . He was defeated in the 2008 election by Democrat Suzanne Kosmas.-Early life:...

 (R-FL), Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush
Bobby Lee Rush is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is located principally on the South Side of Chicago. It is a minority-majority district and has a higher percentage of African Americans than any other congressional district in...

 (D-IL), and Jim Sensenbrenner
Jim Sensenbrenner
Frank James Sensenbrenner, Jr. is an American politician who has been a member of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives since 1979, representing . The district, the state's richest, includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs, and extends into rural...

 (R-WI). The bill was designated H.R. 1056 and was referred to the Ways and Means Committee
United States House Committee on Ways and Means
The Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...

. The bill has since gained three more co-sponsors, Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...

 (R-MD), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), and Jeff Miller
Jeff Miller
Jefferson B. "Jeff" Miller is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes all of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, and Washington Counties....

 (R-FL).

Summary of bill

The bill says that it will "amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a credit against income tax
Tax credit
A tax credit is a sum deducted from the total amount a taxpayer owes to the state. A tax credit may be granted for various types of taxes, such as an income tax, property tax, or VAT. It may be granted in recognition of taxes already paid, as a subsidy, or to encourage investment or other behaviors...

 for tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...

 and related expenses for public
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...

 and nonpublic elementary and secondary education." The tax credit was originally $3,000 in past versions of the bill, and in 2007 the proposed tax credit was increased to $5,000 per child in school.

While the tax credit could be used to pay private school tuition, it could also be used for any school-related expenses for those whose children attend public school or donate to extracurricular activities or for those whose child attends home school
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...

. Qualified expenses would include tuition or fees, a personal computer, books, supplies, or transportation.

History

Paul noted when introducing the bill originally that the state of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 had introduced similar tax credits, and the state found that it had increased resources available for education as a result. He said, "The Arizona experience is further proof that putting control of education resources into the hands of the American people through education tax credits is the best way to improve education. Tax credits allow parents and other concerned citizens to devote more of their resources to education, and allow the American people to work with educators to ensure that all children have the opportunity to receive a quality education that suits each child's unique needs."

The bill has been introduced in what Congressman Paul has described as the "Education Freedom Package," along with the Education Improvement Tax Cut Act, which would allow a $3,000 credit for donations to schools or scholarship programs, and the Teacher Tax Cut Act, which would allow a $1,000 tax deduction to be taken by all teachers.

The bill has been referred to as "pro-homeschool," and the Home School Legal Defense Association
Home School Legal Defense Association
The Home School Legal Defense Association is a United States-based "nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms."...

 has "strongly lobbied" for and endorsed the bill in 2003, 2001 and as far back as 1997. In 1999, the Minnesota Libertarian Party announced plans to pass a Minnesota version of the bill as part of an announced legislative agenda.

As part of his 2008 presidential campaign
Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2008
Ron Paul was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Initial opinion polls during the first three quarters of 2007 showed Ron Paul consistently receiving support from 3% or less of those polled...

, Paul said that if elected President, he would pass the Family Education Freedom Act.

Past versions

Paul introduced this bill in other versions in other sessions of Congress.
  • 105th Congress: H.R. 1816
  • 106th Congress: H.R. 935
  • 107th Congress: H.R. 368 (2001) Introduced January 31, 2001
This version was co-sponsored by Bartlett, Charlie Norwood
Charlie Norwood
Charles Whitlow Norwood, Jr., D.D.S. was an American politician and dentist, serving as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 until his death...

 (R-GA), and Bob Schaffer
Bob Schaffer
Robert Warren "Bob" Schaffer was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Colorado in the 105th Congress and the two succeeding Congresses . In 2004, Schaffer lost in the primary election to be the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat...

 (R-CO).
  • 108th Congress: H.R. 612 (2003) Introduced February 5, 2003, referred to Ways and Means
  • 109th Congress: H.R. 406 (2005)
This version was initially co-sponsored by Bartlett, Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...

 (R-CO), Sensenbrenner, Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Musgrave
Marilyn Neoma Musgrave , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who served from 2003 to 2009, representing the 4th District of Colorado....

 (R-CO), and Mario Diaz-Balart
Mario Diaz-Balart
Mario Rafael Diaz-Balart Caballero is the current U.S. Representative for , serving since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2010 to succeed his brother, Lincoln Diaz-Balart. The district includes the city of Hialeah, along with several of Miami's southwestern suburbs...

(R-FL) and eventually gained 10 co-sponsors. The bill was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

External links

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