Equitable Access to School Facilities Act
Sponsored By: Representative Ciscomani
In Committee
Summary
Expands and restructures state-level facilities aid for charter schools. This bill would create a competitive State Facilities Aid Program to help charter schools buy, lease, renovate, and cover ongoing facility costs. It also adds revolving loan authority and longer-term reporting tied to credit-enhancement tools.
Show full summary
- Charter schools and families: Makes it easier for charter schools to access funding and financing for buildings, including acquisition, leasing, renovation, and ongoing costs. Federal grants would cover up to 60 percent of project costs and can run for up to 5 years.
- State entities and agencies: Gives State entities competitive grants and lets them set selection priorities, involve charter schools in planning, partner with financing organizations, and establish reserve accounts to support facilities. Applications must show how the State will increase access for low-income and rural communities and ensure equal treatment in land use and surplus property.
- Communities and financing: Adds a revolving loan option up to 10 percent of certain program funds to support start-up operations and facility work. The bill clarifies that select Part C funds do not create a Federal recorded interest and requires 10 years of extra reporting for entities receiving credit-enhancement grants.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
State grants for charter facilities
This bill would create a new State Facilities Aid Program to help pay charter school facility costs. Grants would be competitive and run up to 5 years. The federal share would be capped at 60 percent of total costs for a grant period. States would have to add, not replace, their own funds and could partner with others to provide the non‑Federal share. A State could reserve up to 5 percent of a grant for evaluation and technical help, and may set up reserve accounts and other financing tools.
Charter grant and loan changes
This bill would change existing charter school grants to emphasize facility help and compliance. It would let grants pay to locate and access buildings and give one‑time help to make facilities meet codes, including repairs, renovations, and build‑outs. It would lower the specified federal share for certain projects to 80 percent (down from 90 percent). It would also let a State set aside up to 10 percent of funds to start a revolving loan fund for school start‑up and facility loans.
Less property reporting for grant recipients
If enacted, funds awarded under the charter facilities part would not create a Federal property interest for two specific federal grant rules. Recipients of those Part C funds would not be treated as holding a Federal interest for the recording rule at 2 CFR 200.316 or the reporting rule at 2 CFR 200.330. This would reduce certain recording and reporting obligations tied to property interests.
Reporting and timing for grants
The bill would say when its grant changes take effect. Changes to one charter grant program would apply only to grants awarded on or after enactment. The new State Facilities Aid changes would apply only to grants awarded on or after enactment. Separate new reporting rules would require entities that received certain credit‑enhancement grants to include extra credit‑enhancement data in their annual reports for 10 years after a grant, even if the grant was awarded before enactment.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Cosponsors
Bishop
GA • D
Sponsored 1/15/2026
Kiley (CA)
CA • R
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Tokuda
HI • D
Sponsored 1/22/2026
Lofgren
CA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Carter (LA)
LA • D
Sponsored 3/26/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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