Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73
§1687 Interpretation of “program or activity”
Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 38— - DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEX OR BLINDNESS › § 1687
Summary
Defines what counts as a "program or activity" for the chapter. It means the whole set of operations of certain groups that get federal help. There are four kinds: (1) any state or local government department, agency, special district, or similar government body, including the office that gives or gets the aid and any agencies that receive it; (2) colleges, universities, public higher-education systems, and local school or vocational systems; (3) a whole private company, nonprofit, or sole proprietorship if the aid goes to the whole business, or any business mainly providing education, health care, housing, social services, or parks and recreation, and for other businesses the specific plant or separate facility that gets the aid; and (4) any entity set up by two or more of the groups above.
Full Legal Text
Title 20, §1687
Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
For the purposes of this chapter, the term “program or activity” and “program” mean all of the operations of— (1)
(2)(A)a college, university, or other postsecondary institution, or a public system of higher education; or
(B)a local educational agency (as defined in section section 11 So in original. 7801 of this title), system of vocational education, or other school system;
(3)(A)an entire corporation, partnership, or other private organization, or an entire sole proprietorship—
(i)if assistance is extended to such corporation, partnership, private organization, or sole proprietorship as a whole; or
(ii)which is principally engaged in the business of providing education, health care, housing, social services, or parks and recreation; or
(B)the entire plant or other comparable, geographically separate facility to which Federal financial assistance is extended, in the case of any other corporation, partnership, private organization, or sole proprietorship; or
(4)any other entity which is established by two or more of the entities described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3);
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this title”, meaning title IX of Pub. L. 92–318 which enacted this chapter and amended section 203 and 213 of Title 29, Labor, and section 2000c, 2000c–6, 2000c–9, and 2000h–2 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of title IX to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 1681 of this title and Tables.
Amendments
2015—Par. (2)(B). Pub. L. 114–95 substituted “section 7801 of this title), system of vocational education, or other school system;” for “7801 of this title), system of vocational education, or other school system;”. 2002—Par. (2)(B). Pub. L. 107–110 substituted “7801” for “8801”. 1994—Par. (2)(B). Pub. L. 103–382 substituted “section 8801” for “section 2854(a)(10)”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.
Effective Date
of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 107–110 effective Jan. 8, 2002, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 107–110, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 6301 of this title. Findings of Congress Pub. L. 100–259, § 2, Mar. 22, 1988, 102 Stat. 28, provided that: “The Congress finds that— “(1) certain aspects of recent decisions and opinions of the Supreme Court have unduly narrowed or cast doubt upon the broad application of title IX of the Education
Amendments
of 1972 [20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.], section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [29 U.S.C. 794], the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 [42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.], and title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.]; and “(2) legislative action is necessary to restore the prior consistent and long-standing executive branch interpretation and broad, institution-wide application of those laws as previously administered.”
Construction
Pub. L. 100–259, § 7, Mar. 22, 1988, 102 Stat. 31, provided that: “Nothing in the
Amendments
made by this Act [see
Short Title
of 1988 Amendment note under section 1681 of this title] shall be construed to extend the application of the Acts so amended [Education
Amendments
of 1972, Pub. L. 92–318, see
Short Title
of 1972 Amendment, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq., Age Discrimination Act of 1975, 42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq., and Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.] to ultimate beneficiaries of Federal financial assistance excluded from coverage before the enactment of this Act [Mar. 22, 1988].” Abortion NeutralityThis section not to be construed to force or require any individual or hospital or any other institution, program, or activity receiving Federal funds to perform or pay for an abortion, see section 8 of Pub. L. 100–259, set out as a note under section 1688 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 1687
Title 20 — Education
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73