“To improve education outcomes by empowering parents, States, and local communities, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states congressional findings that (1) parents, as primary educators, should have meaningful choices in their children's education, including public, charter, private, and homeschooling options; (2) federal overreach in education policy has decreased local control without improving academic outcomes; (3) restoring decision-making to parents, states, and local communities will foster accountability, innovation, and better results; (4) policies respecting parental rights and state sovereignty are essential for schools to serve students effectively; and (5) the federal government should remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to support optimal educational opportunities.
This section authorizes the Secretary of Education, consistent with applicable law, to (1) ensure that federal education funds empower parents and local communities rather than federal bureaucracies; (2) review and rescind, revise, or amend regulations, guidance documents, and policies that limit parental rights or state and local control over education; (3) promote policies that support school choice, including expanding access to education savings accounts, voucher programs, and charter schools; (4) identify and reduce federal administrative burdens on states, school districts, and educational institutions; (5) collaborate with states and localities to encourage high-quality education practices while respecting state and local decision-making authority; (6) enhance transparency regarding educational content, policies, and funding so that parents and communities can make informed decisions; and (7) ensure that federal funds are used to support student achievement rather than federal mandates.
This section authorizes the Secretary of Education to obligate or expend less than the total amounts appropriated for education programs, as appropriate to carry out this Act, provided such reductions do not violate statutory requirements for mandatory funding. It further requires the Secretary to submit a report to the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter detailing (1) the total amount of appropriated funds not obligated or expended during the previous quarter, (2) a description of the programs or activities affected by the reduced spending, and (3) the rationale for each decision to withhold or reduce spending.
This section establishes rules of construction clarifying that the Act (1) does not mandate, direct, or control a state, local educational agency, or school's curriculum, standards, assessments, or policies; (2) does not limit parents' rights to direct the education and upbringing of their children; (3) does not preempt or limit the authority of states and local educational agencies to determine education policy, except as required by federal law; (4) does not authorize new federal spending beyond existing appropriations; and (5) does not regulate, restrict, or otherwise affect homeschooling.