[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 309 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 309
To allow a State to submit a declaration of intent to the Secretary of
Education to combine certain funds to improve the academic achievement
of students.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 29, 2025
Mr. Daines (for himself, Mr. Lankford, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Lummis, Mr.
Hagerty, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Johnson, Mr.
Sheehy, Mr. Budd, and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To allow a State to submit a declaration of intent to the Secretary of
Education to combine certain funds to improve the academic achievement
of students.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Academic Partnerships Lead Us to
Success Act'' or the ``A PLUS Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To give States and local communities added flexibility
to determine how to improve academic achievement and implement
education reforms.
(2) To reduce the administrative costs and compliance
burden of Federal education programs in order to focus Federal
resources on improving academic achievement.
(3) To ensure that States and communities are accountable
to the public for advancing the academic achievement of all
students, especially disadvantaged children.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided, the terms
used in this Act have the meanings given the terms in section
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801 et seq.).
(2) Accountability.--The term ``accountability'' means that
public schools are answerable to parents and other taxpayers
for the use of public funds and shall report student progress
to parents and taxpayers regularly.
(3) Declaration of intent.--The term ``declaration of
intent'' means a decision by a State, as determined by State
Authorizing Officials or by referendum, to assume full
management responsibility for the expenditure of Federal funds
for certain eligible programs for the purpose of advancing, on
a more comprehensive and effective basis, the educational
policy of such State.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such
term in section 1122(e) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6332(e)).
(5) State authorizing officials.--The term ``State
Authorizing Officials'' means the State officials who shall
authorize the submission of a declaration of intent, and any
amendments thereto, on behalf of the State. Such officials
shall include not less than 2 of the following:
(A) The Governor of the State.
(B) The highest elected education official of the
State, if any.
(C) The legislature of the State.
(6) State designated officer.--The term ``State Designated
Officer'' means the person designated by the State Authorizing
Officials to submit to the Secretary, on behalf of the State, a
declaration of intent, and any amendments thereto, and to
function as the point-of-contact for the State for the
Secretary and others relating to any responsibilities arising
under this Act.
SEC. 4. DECLARATION OF INTENT.
(a) In General.--Each State is authorized to submit to the
Secretary a declaration of intent permitting the State to receive
Federal funds on a consolidated basis to manage the expenditure of such
funds to advance the educational policy of the State.
(b) Programs Eligible for Consolidation and Permissible Use of
Funds.--
(1) Scope.--A State may choose to include within the scope
of the State's declaration of intent any program for which
Congress makes funds available to the State if the program is
for a purpose described in the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301). A State may not include
any program funded pursuant to the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.).
(2) Uses of funds.--Funds made available to a State
pursuant to a declaration of intent under this Act shall be
used for any educational purpose permitted by State law of the
State submitting a declaration of intent.
(3) Removal of fiscal and accounting barriers.--Each State
educational agency that operates under a declaration of intent
under this Act shall modify or eliminate State fiscal and
accounting barriers that prevent local educational agencies and
schools from easily consolidating funds from other Federal,
State, and local sources in order to improve educational
opportunities and reduce unnecessary fiscal and accounting
requirements.
(c) Contents of Declaration.--Each declaration of intent shall
contain--
(1) a list of eligible programs that are subject to the
declaration of intent;
(2) an assurance that the submission of the declaration of
intent has been authorized by the State Authorizing Officials,
specifying the identity of the State Designated Officer;
(3) the duration of the declaration of intent;
(4) an assurance that the State will use fiscal control and
fund accounting procedures;
(5) an assurance that the State will meet the requirements
of applicable Federal civil rights laws in carrying out the
declaration of intent and in consolidating and using the funds
under the declaration of intent;
(6) an assurance that in implementing the declaration of
intent the State will seek to advance educational opportunities
for the disadvantaged;
(7) a description of the plan for maintaining direct
accountability to parents and other citizens of the State; and
(8) an assurance that in implementing the declaration of
intent, the State will seek to use Federal funds to supplement,
rather than supplant, State education funding.
(d) Duration.--The duration of the declaration of intent shall not
exceed 5 years.
(e) Review and Recognition by the Secretary.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall review the declaration
of intent received from the State Designated Officer not more
than 60 days after the date of receipt of such declaration, and
shall recognize such declaration of intent unless the
declaration of intent fails to meet the requirements under
subsection (c).
(2) Recognition by operation of law.--If the Secretary
fails to take action within the time specified in paragraph
(1), the declaration of intent, as submitted, shall be deemed
to be approved.
(f) Amendment to Declaration of Intent.--
(1) In general.--The State Authorizing Officials may direct
the State Designated Officer to submit amendments to a
declaration of intent that is in effect. Such amendments shall
be submitted to the Secretary and considered by the Secretary
in accordance with subsection (e).
(2) Amendments authorized.--A declaration of intent that is
in effect may be amended to--
(A) expand the scope of such declaration of intent
to encompass additional eligible programs;
(B) reduce the scope of such declaration of intent
by excluding coverage of a Federal program included in
the original declaration of intent;
(C) modify the duration of such declaration of
intent; or
(D) achieve such other modifications as the State
Authorizing Officials deem appropriate.
(3) Effective date.--The amendment shall specify an
effective date. Such effective date shall provide adequate time
to assure full compliance with Federal program requirements
relating to an eligible program that has been removed from the
coverage of the declaration of intent by the proposed
amendment.
(4) Treatment of program funds withdrawn from declaration
of intent.--Beginning on the effective date of an amendment
executed under paragraph (2)(B), each program requirement of
each program removed from the declaration of intent shall apply
to the State's use of funds made available under the program.
SEC. 5. TRANSPARENCY FOR RESULTS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
(a) In General.--Each State operating under a declaration of intent
under this Act shall inform parents and the general public regarding
the student achievement assessment system, demonstrating student
progress relative to the State's determination of student proficiency
for the purpose of public accountability to parents and taxpayers.
(b) Accountability System.--The State shall determine and establish
an accountability system to ensure accountability under this Act.
(c) Report on Student Progress.--Not later than 1 year after the
effective date of the declaration of intent, and annually thereafter, a
State shall disseminate widely to parents and the general public a
report that describes student progress. The report shall include--
(1) student performance data disaggregated in the same
manner as data are disaggregated under section
1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(B)(xi)); and
(2) a description of how the State has used Federal funds
to improve academic achievement, reduce achievement disparities
between various student groups, and improve educational
opportunities for the disadvantaged.
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the amount
that a State with a declaration of intent may expend for administrative
expenses shall be limited to 1 percent of the aggregate amount of
Federal funds made available to the State through the eligible programs
included within the scope of such declaration of intent.
(b) States Not Consolidating Funds Under Part A of Title I.--If the
declaration of intent does not include within its scope part A of title
I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311
et seq.), the amount spent by the State on administrative expenses
shall be limited to 3 percent of the aggregate amount of Federal funds
made available to the State pursuant to such declaration of intent.
SEC. 7. EQUITABLE PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
Each State consolidating and using funds pursuant to a declaration
of intent under this Act shall provide for the participation of private
school children and teachers in the activities assisted under the
declaration of intent in the same manner as participation is provided
to private school children and teachers under section 8501 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7881).
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