	Introduction

Charter schools are public schools of choice that are created in accordance with state laws and are publicly funded and tuition free. They are operated according to the terms of charters or contracts granted by public chartering agencies, such as local educational agencies (LEAs) or state boards of education. The terms of charters typically provide charter school operators with increased autonomy over the operation of schools, often including exemption from, or flexibility in the application of, many of the state or local regulations otherwise applicable to public schools. As opposed to having neighborhood school catchment areas, enrollment in charter schools is normally open to applicants on an LEA-wide or even statewide basis, and parents must actively choose to enroll their children in charter schools. Under Title V-B-1 and V-B-2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), federal support is provided to assist with the opening of new charter schools and for the funding of charter school facilities. During the 112 th and 113 th Congresses, Congress has actively pursued both a comprehensive reauthorization of the ESEA, which would include amending and reauthorizing the Title V-B charter school programs, and stand alone legislation to amend and reauthorize the Title V-B programs independent of a comprehensive ESEA reauthorization. Most recently, the House Education and Workforce Committee ordered reported the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act ( H.R. 10 ) by a vote of 36-3 on April 8, 2014. The bill would amend and reauthorize the Title V-B charter school programs. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB; P.L. Title V-B-2 authorizes the Credit Enhancement Program. Title V-B-1 Charter School Programs

Several charter school programs and activities are authorized under Title V-B-1. The Charter Schools Program, which provides grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) or, if a state's SEA chooses not to apply for a grant, charter school developers, to support the planning, program design, and initial implementation of public charter schools. Funds may also be used to provide dissemination grants to successful charter schools. The Secretary of Education is authorized to reserve funds for national activities, such as evaluation, technical assistance, and dissemination of best practices. Under the Per-Pupil Facilities Aid Program (more commonly referred to as the State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grants Program), the Secretary provides competitive grants to states to pay the federal share of establishing or enhancing, and administering, a program which will provide facilities assistance to charter schools on a per-pupil basis. For the purposes of the program, Section 5210 defines a charter school as a public school that
is exempt from significant state and local rules that inhibit autonomy; is created by a developer as a public school or converted from a traditional public school, and is operated under public direction; operates in pursuit of a specific set of educational objectives established by the school and agreed to by the chartering agency; provides elementary and/or secondary education; is nonsectarian; does not charge tuition; complies with various federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and civil rights laws; uses a lottery to admit students if oversubscribed; agrees to comply with federal and state audit requirements that apply to other public schools; meets federal, state, and local health and safety requirements; operates in accordance with state law; and has a written performance contract that addresses student performance and state assessments. Beginning in FY2010, the acts have also permitted or required to the Secretary to use funds to make multiple awards to nonprofit charter management organizations (CMOs) and other nonprofit entities for the replication and expansion of successful charter school models. 10 Would Make to Current Law

H.R. 107-110 ) in 2002, which provided for a comprehensive reauthorization of the ESEA. The second program, Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation (more commonly known as the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program; Title V-B-2), authorizes ED to make grants to three or more entities to help charter schools improve their credit in order to obtain private sector capital to acquire, lease, renovate, or construct appropriate facilities. Substantive Changes to the Charter School Programs Made through Appropriations Acts
Substantive changes have been made to the charter school programs through the annual Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies (L-HHS-ED) appropriations acts since FY2010.
Charter schools are public schools of choice that are created in accordance with state laws and are publicly funded and tuition free. They are operated according to the terms of charters or contracts granted by public chartering agencies. The terms of charters typically provide charter school operators with increased autonomy over the operation of schools, often including exemptions from, or flexibility in the application of, many of the state or local regulations otherwise applicable to public schools. Enrollment in charter schools is normally open to applicants on a local educational agency (LEA)-wide or even statewide basis, and parents must actively choose to enroll their children in charter schools.
Under Title V-B-1 and V-B-2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), federal support is provided to assist with the opening of new charter schools and for the funding of charter school facilities.
ESEA Title V-B-1 authorizes the Charter Schools Program, which provides grants to state educational agencies (SEAs), or charter school developers if a state's SEA chooses not to apply for a grant, to support the planning, program design, and initial implementation of public charter schools. Funds may also be used to provide dissemination grants to successful charter schools. ESEA Title V-B-1 authorizes the Secretary of Education to reserve funds for national activities, such as evaluation, technical assistance, and dissemination of best practices. ESEA Title V-B-1 authorizes the Per-Pupil Facilities Aid Program (more commonly referred to as the State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grants Program). Under this program, the Secretary provides competitive grants to states to pay the federal share of establishing or enhancing, and administering, a program that will provide facilities assistance to charter schools on a per-pupil basis. ESEA Title V-B-2 authorizes the Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation program (more commonly known as the Credit Enhancement program). Under this program, ED awards competitive grants to public or private nonprofit entities to demonstrate innovative ways to help charter schools acquire appropriate facilities.
While the charter school programs have not been reauthorized since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB; P.L. 107-110) in 2002, they continue to receive funding through the annual appropriations process. In addition, since FY2010, substantive changes have been made to the programs through annual appropriations acts, including allowing or requiring the Secretary to make grants to nonprofit charter management organizations (CMOs) and other nonprofit entities for the replication and expansion of successful charter school models.
During the 112th and 113th Congresses, Congress has actively pursued both a comprehensive reauthorization of the ESEA, which would include amending and reauthorizing the Title V-B charter school programs, and stand alone legislation to reauthorize and amend the Title V-B programs independent of a comprehensive ESEA reauthorization. Most recently, the House Education and Workforce Committee ordered reported the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act (H.R. 10) by a vote of 36-3 on April 8, 2014. The bill would provide for a reauthorization of the Title V-B charter school programs and make numerous changes to the current programs. While a brief discussion of the changes that H.R. 10 would make to the charter school programs is included, it is generally beyond the scope of this report to discuss amendments that would be made to the charter school programs by these reauthorization bills.