Listed below is a summary of USCCB positions on substantively important issues which are likely to be addressed in legislation by the 109th Congress. The USCCB expects to commit all appropriate lobbying efforts to amend, pass or defeat specific legislation. If Congressional action favorable to the USCCB position is uncertain, the USCCB intends to commit the necessary resources at the "grassroots" level to insure that Congress takes action.



Governing Legislative Principles

We Support Legislation that:

• allows all parents, but especially low and middle income parents, to choose the education they believe is best suited for their children, whether that is a public, private, or religious school.
  
• when services that are aimed at improving the educational environment—especially for those most at risk—are available to students and teachers in public schools, these services should also be available to students and teachers in private and religious schools.

We Support Legislation that:

• provides tax credits for personal and corporate donations to organizations providing scholarships for children.
  
• provides an adequately funded student scholarship demonstration project of educational choice, similar to that already existing in the District of Columbia, especially for thos parents most in need.
  
• provides refundable tax credits/deductions for families with children in public, private, or religious elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools to help pay for various educational expenses, including tuition.
  
• makes permanent educational tax deductions, including Coverdell savings accounts.

We Support Legislation that:

• increases loan forgiveness for teachers in public, private, and religious schools; especially those teaching in schools sereving Title I children. This action needs to provide for an alternative to the requirement that to be eligible teachers must meet the definition of a "highly qualified teacher," which only applies to public school teachers.
  
• provides for services to increase teacher quality and professional development for teachers in public, private, and religious schools.
  
• provides access to private and religious school students to participate in any merit based student federal financial aid by having the same or equivalent course of studies required of those who participate in State Scholars Program.
  
• provides for participation of private and religious school students in the Community College Access Grants and the Presidential Math and Science Scholars Fund.

We Support Legislation that:

• allows students in private and religious schools to access program benefits on an equitable basis with students in public schools.
  

We Support Legislation that:

• insures continued inclusion of private and relisious schools in the Universal Service provisions.
  
• maintains the level of funding available and does not change the way the E-Rate program is currently financed.
  
• simplifies the E-Ratae application process.
  
• provides for adequate protections against waste, fraud, and abuse.
  

We Support Legislation that:

• provides tax credits to teachers in public, private, and religious schools to cover educational expenses.
  
• provides for programs of professional development for teachers of math and science in public, private, and religious schools.
  
• provides tax incentives to teachers in public, private, and religious schools who purchase homes in Title I areas.
  
• provides that teachers in public, private and religious schools will be eligible to participate in programs such as the Teacher Incentive Fund, the Advanced Placement and the Mathematics and Science Partnership Programs of NCLB, the Striving Readers Initiative, and the Adjunct Teacher Corps.

We Support Legislation that:

• continues or increases funding for all federal programs benefiting public, private, and religious school students and teachers (e.g., NCLB, IDEA, HEA, VOC. ED., etc.).
  
• opposes any FY 2005 budget rescission legislation which would reduce federal education funding that benefits students and teachers in public, private, and religious schools.

We Support Legislation that:

• retains the current certificate option.
  
• includes private, faith-based, and family-based providers and is not limited to Government based or institutional providers.
  
• provides sufficiently flexible language relating to standards and licensing to allow private, family, and faith-based groups to offer such services.

We Support Legislation that:

• provides funds to cover the cost of providing for CPR training, purchasing defibrilators and other health equipment in public, private, and religious schools.
  

We Support Legislation that:

• requires independent studies that provide scientifically-based evidence of environmental and safety hazards that might affect both students and staff in public, private, and religious schools
  
• includes adequate and equitable funding for public, private and religious schools to address such scientifically-based evidence of environmental hazards and issues of health, fire, and safety, including technical assistance and training to school personnel.

Monitor proposals:

• implementing the newly reauthorized legislation as it affects parentally placed students in private and religious schools.
  

Monitor proposals:

• implementing the NCLB legislation as it affects students, teachers, and parents in private and religious schools.
  

Monitor proposals:

• affecting institutional security and the protection of children to ensure that private and religious schools are included.
  

Monitor proposal:

• to insure private and religious schools are included in proposals to help meet health, fire, and safety codes; provide for technology assistance, and to serve children with special needs.
  

Monitor proposal:

• to provide universal pre-K and Head Start programs and their impact on private and religious schools.
  

Monitor proposal:

• implementing the newly reauthorized legislation as it affects students in private and religious schools.
  

Lobbying: Substantively important issue addressed in legislation which either is expected to be approved by Congress or is likely to be introduced at the initiative of USCCB and on which the USCCB expects to take a formal position.

The USCCB expects to commit all appropriate lobbying efforts including grass roots activity to influence the disposition of specific legislation addressing the issue.

Proactive Advocacy: Substantively important issue addressed in legislation which may be considered by Congress on which the USCCB expects to take a formal position.

The USCCB expects to commit educational resources at the grass roots level, as well as utilize all appropriate lobbying efforts, to raise Congressional awareness of USCCB's position and, if appropriate, to influence the disposition of legislation addressing the issue.

General Advocacy: Substantively important issue addressed in legislation which may or may not be considered by Congress on which the USCCB may or may not make a formal statement.

The USCCB intends to track these issues closely in order to determine what the USCCB action should be, if Congress decides to take action on one of them.

Monitoring: Substantively important issue that is addressed in legislation, or which may be proposed, which the USCCB intends to closely monitor and track to determine what USCCB action might be.

Email us at catholiceducation@usccb.org
Secretariat of Catholic Education | 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington DC 20017-1194 | (202) 541-3132 © USCCB. All rights reserved.