Author: Annelise Reinwald
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Governors in three states announce they've formally opted into U.S. school choice tax credit scholarship program
As of Jan. 21, 2026, three states have formally opted into the U.S. school choice tax credit scholarship program. States that have formally opted into the program are those that have submitted Form 15714, Advance Election to Participate Under Section 25F for 2027 to the U.S. Treasury. Virginia became the first state to do so…
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Iowa indicates participation in federal school choice tax credit program
On Jan. 5, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) announced that the state would participate in the U.S. school choice tax credit scholarship program, which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) established when President Donald Trump (R) signed the bill into law in July 2025. The announcement makes Iowa the sixth state to indicate participation…
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An overview of the rules, agency documents, and notices published in the Federal Register in the last quarter of 2025
The federal government added 14,353 pages to the Federal Register in the last quarter of 2025, spanning from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, for an annual total of 61,584 pages. According to the publication, that's the lowest annual page count of the Federal Register since 1992. The highest annual page count hit 95,894 in 2016.…
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IRS requests comments on implementing the U.S. school choice tax credit scholarship
On Nov. 26, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a bureau of the U.S. Treasury, issued a notice requesting comments regarding the implementation of the U.S. school choice tax credit scholarship (USTCS) program. The 2025 budget reconciliation bill, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), established the program when President Donald Trump (R) signed the…
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South Dakota is the latest state to indicate participation in the federal education tax credit scholarship program
What's the story? On Nov. 14, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) announced that the state would participate in the U.S. school choice tax credit scholarship program, which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) established when President Trump (R) signed the bill into law in July. The program is a nonrefundable tax credit that…
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Third quarter federal agency rule count lower at this stage in Trump's presidency than Biden's
Federal administrative agencies in the third quarter of the first year of the second Trump administration have issued less proposed and final rules than in the third quarter of the first year under the Biden administration. President Donald Trump (R) issued more presidential documents in Q3 2025 than former President Joe Biden (D) did in Q3…
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Twenty-two states enacted K-12 cellphone bans so far in 2025
Twenty-six (26) states have laws or policies requiring local school boards to ban or limit cellphone use in K-12 classrooms. Twenty-two (22) of these laws were enacted in 2025, with the most recent put in place in Oregon through an executive order. Three additional states require K-12 public school districts to adopt policies around student…
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North Carolina governor vetoes bill opting into federal private school choice program
What's the story? Gov. Josh Stein (D) vetoed House Bill (HB) 87, titled the Educational Choice for Children Act, on Aug. 6. The bill was designed to opt North Carolina into the federal private school choice tax credit program passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA)…
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Budget reconciliation bill enacts first federal private school choice program
What's the story? President Donald Trump (R) signed the formerly titled One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) into law on July 4, enacting the first federal private school choice program. Under the program: The tax credit program will apply to donations made starting in 2027. What's the background? The bill passed the U.S. House of…
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New Hampshire becomes 26th state to adopt Parents' Bill of Rights
What's the story? New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed House Bill (HB) 10 on June 10, adopting a statewide Parents' Bill of Rights. This bill establishes parents' rights regarding their child's education, prohibits schools from infringing those rights, and allows parents to seek legal relief if these rights are violated. The bill also requires…