House Republicans passed the Educational Choice for Children Act through the Ways and Means Committee after the markup of their reconciliation bill.

Including the ECCA in reconciliation has been a strategy for Republican lawmakers since at least March. Lacking bipartisan support, Republicans can pass the ECCA through the reconciliation process with a simple majority in both the House and Senate.  

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“The other side believes that there should be a centralized process in which all the power should be in D.C., and bureaucrats should decide what has actually been happening in our districts,” Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) told the Washington Examiner in March. “That’s why reconciliation would be a very good way of going at it because we can do it with a majority in the House and a majority in the Senate, and President Trump will definitely sign off.”

The bill will offer tax credits to individuals and businesses that donate to a fund managed by a scholarship-granting organization under IRS oversight. Parents in all 50 states could then access these funds, without reducing federal school funding, to enroll their children in schools they believe best fit their needs.

Advocates of school choice say the ECCA will greatly benefit low-income children.

“We are one step closer to bringing school choice to every state in America, and we applaud Speaker Johnson (R-LA) and countless congressional leaders for their relentless commitment to ensuring school choice becomes the law of the land,” Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, told the Washington Examiner. “Many changes are likely to occur as lawmakers debate key elements that need improvement, and we are eager to continue working with them to ensure that robust school choice makes it to President Trump’s desk.”

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The Trump administration has been a fierce advocate of expanding school choice options for students. In President Donald Trump’s “skinny 2026 fiscal budget,” he boosted the budget for charter schools to $60 million.

“The President’s Skinny Budget reflects funding levels for an agency that is responsibly winding down, shifting some responsibilities to the states, and thoughtfully preparing a plan to delegate other critical functions to more appropriate entities,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “It supports the President’s vision of expanding school choice and ensuring every American has access to an excellent education.”