U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced the filing of new school voucher legislation Thursday, which is being carried in the Senate by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Cruz's bill, S. 634, would create a voucher program estimated to cost as much as $10 billion per year. The measure would allow corporations and individuals to deduct from their federal taxes 100 percent of their contributions to "scholarship funds" for private schools. Tax credit scholarship proposals aim to subsidize private, for-profit schools with taxpayer dollars redirected from free, constitutional public schools.

The credit would be capped at 10 percent of an individual's adjusted gross income or five percent of a corporation's net taxable income. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Alabama) has filed a similar version in the House with a $5 billion price tag. State-level legislation of the type Devos, Cruz, and Byrne are aiming to encourage by proposing federal tax credits has previously been filed in Texas, but has been opposed by Texas educators and has failed to pass. State leaders have repeatedly said similar voucher proposals will not be a priority this session. Many believe this is largely due to 2018 Texas election results, which were widely seen as a rejection of privatization efforts. For this reason, state legislators in Texas have yet to file a major voucher bill during the current state legislative session.

President Donald Trump appointed DeVos, who has used her family's vast wealth to advocate for the privatization of public schools. During her time as education secretary, DeVos has led a number of efforts to promote vouchers and voucher-like policies.

Fortunately, there is slim chance that the current Congress will pass any voucher legislation. Some Senate Republicans have expressed concerns over voucher legislation, and a voucher bill is unlikely to find traction in the Democratically-controlled House. To read more about the new Cruz bill and send a message to your elected officials in Washington, DC about it, visit ATPE's Advocacy Central.