H.R. 7086

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7086 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>

Union Calendar No. 586
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7086

[Report No. 119-672]

To support the creation and implementation of State policies, as well 
as the expansion of existing State policies, for improving the quality 
and affordability of charter school facilities and to authorize the 
provision of technical assistance to support the growth and expansion 
of high-quality charter schools.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 15, 2026

Mr. Ciscomani (for himself and Mr. Bishop) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

June 2, 2026

Additional sponsors: Mr. Kiley of California, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Lofgren, 
Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Torres of New York, Ms. Letlow, Mr. 
Hamadeh of Arizona, Mr. Hill of Arkansas, and Mr. Soto

June 2, 2026

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 
15, 2026]

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To support the creation and implementation of State policies, as well 
as the expansion of existing State policies, for improving the quality 
and affordability of charter school facilities and to authorize the 
provision of technical assistance to support the growth and expansion 
of high-quality charter schools.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Equitable Access to School 
Facilities Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO STATE FACILITIES AID PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--Section 4304(k) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221c(k)) is amended to read as 
follows:
``(k) State Facilities Aid Program.--
``(1) State entity defined.--In this subsection, the term 
`State entity' has the meaning given the term in section 
4303(a).
``(2) Grants to state entities.--
``(A) Grants authorized.--From the amount reserved 
under section 4302(b)(1) and remaining after the 
Secretary makes grants under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, grants 
to State entities that have the highest-quality 
applications approved under subparagraph (C), after 
considering the content of such applications in 
accordance with subparagraph (D), to pay for the 
Federal share of the cost of carrying out the 
activities described in subparagraph (E).
``(B) Period.--The Secretary shall award grants 
under this subsection for periods of not more than 5 
years.
``(C) Application.--
``(i) In general.--A State entity desiring 
to receive a grant under this subsection shall 
submit to the Secretary an application in such 
form as the Secretary may reasonably require 
and containing the information described in 
clause (ii).
``(ii) Contents.--An application submitted 
under clause (i) shall contain--
``(I) a statement identifying the 
activities that the State entity 
proposes to carry out with funds 
received under this subsection, 
including a description of how the 
State entity will determine which 
charter schools will receive 
assistance, and how much and what types 
of assistance such charter schools will 
receive;
``(II) a description of the 
involvement of charter schools in the 
application's development and in the 
design of the proposed activities;
``(III) a description of whether 
and how the State entity will partner 
with an organization as described in 
subparagraph (G);
``(IV) a description of how the 
State entity possesses sufficient 
expertise to evaluate the likelihood of 
success of a charter school before 
providing assistance to such school 
through the proposed grant;
``(V) in the case of an application 
submitted by a State entity described 
in paragraphs (1), (2), or (3) of 
section 4303(a), a description of the 
actions that the entity has taken, or 
will take, to ensure that charter 
schools within the State receive the 
funding they need to have adequate 
facilities;
``(VI) a description of whether and 
how the proposed activities will--
``(aa) increase charter 
schools' access to State funds 
or other financing for 
acquiring or operating 
facilities (including by 
reducing gaps to such access 
between charter schools and 
other public schools in the 
same State);
``(bb) increase charter 
schools' access to public 
buildings; and
``(cc) increase the access 
of charter schools in low-
income and rural communities to 
adequate facilities; and
``(VII) a description of whether 
the State in which the State entity is 
located is described in clauses (i), 
(ii), (iii), or (iv) of subparagraph 
(D).
``(iii) No additional information.--The 
Secretary may not require any additional 
information to be included in an application 
submitted under this subparagraph that is not 
listed in clause (ii).
``(D) Priority.--In making grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to a 
State entity located in a State--
``(i) that is described in subparagraph (A) 
or (C) of section 4303(g)(2);
``(ii) that provides charter schools with 
access to tax-exempt financing;
``(iii) with land use policies (including 
with respect to policies relating to permits 
and fees) that provide for the same or 
substantially similar treatment of charter 
schools as other public schools that are not 
charter schools; or
``(iv) that prohibits localities and other 
instrumentalities of the State from imposing 
deed restrictions on properties that limit 
charter school access, including prohibitions 
or restrictions on charter schools purchasing 
surplus public property.
``(E) Use of funds.--
``(i) In general.--A State entity receiving 
a grant under this subsection shall use such 
grant to carry out, in the State in which the 
State entity is located, 1 or more of the 
following activities:
``(I) Increasing funding for, or 
creating financing mechanisms to 
support, the acquisition, access to 
leasing, and renovation of facilities 
by charter schools, which may include 
partnerships with local educational 
agencies that provide access to public 
buildings.
``(II) Increasing funding for, or 
creating funding mechanisms to support, 
charter schools' ongoing facilities 
costs.
``(III) Supporting the creation of 
alternative ownership models, to plan, 
develop, and manage facilities for 
charter schools.
``(ii) Reserve account.--
``(I) State entity not receiving 
subsection (a) grant.--In the case of a 
State entity that is not receiving a 
grant under subsection (a), such entity 
may--
``(aa) establish and 
maintain a reserve account 
described in subsection (f); 
and
``(bb) for the purpose of 
carrying out 1 or more of the 
activities described in 
subclauses (I) through (III) of 
clause (i), deposit an amount 
of the grant funds received 
under this subsection (to be 
determined by the State entity) 
in such reserve account.
``(II) State entity receiving 
subsection (a) grant.--In the case of a 
State entity that is receiving a grant 
under subsection (a), for the purpose 
of carrying out 1 or more of the 
activities described in subclauses (I) 
through (III) of clause (i), such 
entity may deposit an amount of the 
grant funds received under this 
subsection (to be determined by the 
State entity) in the reserve account 
established and maintained by the State 
entity under subsection (f).
``(iii) Evaluations; technical assistance; 
dissemination.--From the amount made available 
to a State entity through a grant under this 
subsection for a fiscal year, the State entity 
may reserve not more than 5 percent to carry 
out evaluations, to provide technical 
assistance, and to disseminate information.
``(iv) Supplement, not supplant.--Funds 
made available under this subsection shall be 
used to supplement, and not supplant, non-
Federal funds expended to carry out the 
activities authorized under this subsection.
``(F) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost 
of carrying out the activities described in 
subparagraph (E) shall be not more than an amount equal 
to 60 percent of the total such cost for the duration 
of the grant period.
``(G) Non-federal share.--A State entity receiving 
a grant under this subsection may partner with 1 or 
more organizations, and such organizations may provide 
any amount of the non-Federal share of the cost of 
carrying out the activities described in subparagraph 
(E).
``(H) Multiple grants.--A State may receive more 
than 1 grant under this subsection, so long as the 
amount of total funds provided to charter schools 
increases with each successive grant.''.
(b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply only with respect to a grant awarded under section 4304(k) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 7221c(k)) on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. NO FEDERAL INTEREST.

(a) In General.--Part C of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:

``SEC. 4312. NO FEDERAL INTEREST.

``No funds made available under this part create a Federal interest 
(as such term is defined in section 200.1 of title 2, Code of Federal 
Regulations) for purposes of--
``(1) the recording requirement under section 200.316 of 
such title; or
``(2) the reporting requirement under section 200.330 of 
such title.''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 4311 the following:

``Sec. 4312. No Federal interest.''.

SEC. 4. CREDIT ENHANCEMENT FOR CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--Section 4304(h)(2)(A) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221c(h)(2)) is amended by 
inserting ``, for each of the 10 years following the date on which such 
entity received such grant,'' after ``annual report''.
(b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to an eligible entity that received a grant under 
section 4304(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7221c(a)) before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 5. GRANTS TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS.

(a) In General.--Section 4303 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221b) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ``and'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
``(3) provide assistance in locating and accessing a 
facility for purposes of opening, preparing, or expanding 
charter schools as described in paragraph (1); and
``(4) provide one-time assistance to any planned or 
operating charter schools in the State in ensuring that a 
facility used for a charter school complies with State and 
local building codes and regulations.'';
(2) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
striking ``section shall--'' and inserting ``section--
``(A) shall--'';
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) though (C) 
as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively;
(C) in clause (i), as so redesignated, by striking 
``90 percent'' and inserting ``80 percent'';
(D) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by 
striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; 
and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) may reserve not more than 10 percent of such 
funds for the establishment of a revolving loan fund, 
which may be used to make loans, under such terms as 
may be established by the State entity, to--
``(i) eligible applicants for the operation 
of 1 or more of the charter schools opened or 
expanded pursuant to a grant under this section 
(for the duration of the program period 
described in subsection (d)(1)(B)); and
``(ii) eligible applicants to assist such 
applicants in obtaining, renovating, or 
rehabilitating facilities for planned or 
operating charter schools in the State.''; and
(3) in subsection (h)(3)--
(A) by striking ``necessary renovations'' and all 
that follows through ``school building complies'' and 
inserting ``repairs, renovations, and building out of 
charter school facilities to ensure that such 
facilities comply''; and
(B) by striking ``, and minor facilities repairs 
(excluding construction)''.
(b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply only with respect to a grant awarded under section 4303 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 7221b) on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
Union Calendar No. 586

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7086

[Report No. 119-672]

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To support the creation and implementation of State policies, as well 
as the expansion of existing State policies, for improving the quality 
and affordability of charter school facilities and to authorize the 
provision of technical assistance to support the growth and expansion 
of high-quality charter schools.

_______________________________________________________________________

June 2, 2026

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed