Title 20EducationRelease 119-73

§6399 Definitions

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 70— - STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED › Part Part C— - Education of Migratory Children › § 6399

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines who counts for the migrant education program by giving short meanings for key terms. Local operating agency means a local school system that gets a subgrant, or a public or private agency the state or federal education office hires to run a project, or the state education office itself if it runs the migrant program directly. Migratory agricultural worker means someone who moved within the last 36 months for economic reasons and then did (or tried to get) new temporary or seasonal farm work, including dairy or early processing. Migratory child means a child who moved in the last 36 months as a migratory agricultural worker or migratory fisher, or who moved with or to join a parent or spouse who is one. Migratory fisher means someone who moved in the last 36 months for economic reasons and then did (or tried to get) new temporary or seasonal fishing work. Qualifying move means a move because of economic need from one home to another and from one school district to another, except in a single-district state where a move between administrative areas counts, or in a district over 15,000 square miles where a move of 20 miles or more to a temporary home counts.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §6399

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this part:
(1)The term “local operating agency” means—
(A)a local educational agency to which a State educational agency makes a subgrant under this part;
(B)a public or private agency with which a State educational agency or the Secretary makes an arrangement to carry out a project under this part; or
(C)a State educational agency, if the State educational agency operates the State’s migrant education program or projects directly.
(2)The term “migratory agricultural worker” means an individual who made a qualifying move in the preceding 36 months and, after doing so, engaged in new temporary or seasonal employment or personal subsistence in agriculture, which may be dairy work or the initial processing of raw agricultural products. If an individual did not engage in such new employment soon after a qualifying move, such individual may be considered a migratory agricultural worker if the individual actively sought such new employment and has a recent history of moves for temporary or seasonal agricultural employment.
(3)The term “migratory child” means a child or youth who made a qualifying move in the preceding 36 months—
(A)as a migratory agricultural worker or a migratory fisher; or
(B)with, or to join, a parent or spouse who is a migratory agricultural worker or a migratory fisher.
(4)The term “migratory fisher” means an individual who made a qualifying move in the preceding 36 months and, after doing so, engaged in new temporary or seasonal employment or personal subsistence in fishing. If the individual did not engage in such new employment soon after the move, the individual may be considered a migratory fisher if the individual actively sought such new employment and has a recent history of moves for temporary or seasonal fishing employment.
(5)The term “qualifying move” means a move due to economic necessity—
(A)from one residence to another residence; and
(B)from one school district to another school district, except—
(i)in the case of a State that is comprised of a single school district, wherein a qualifying move is from one administrative area to another within such district; or
(ii)in the case of a school district of more than 15,000 square miles, wherein a qualifying move is a distance of 20 miles or more to a temporary residence.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6399, Pub. L. 89–10, title I, § 1309, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3591, defined terms for this part, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Amendments

2015—Par. (1)(B). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1301(h)(1), struck out “nonprofit” before “private agency”. Pars. (2) to (5). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1301(h)(2), added pars. (2) to (5) and struck out former par. (2). Prior to amendment, text of par. (2) read as follows: “The term ‘migratory child’ means a child who is, or whose parent or spouse is, a migratory agricultural worker, including a migratory dairy worker, or a migratory fisher, and who, in the preceding 36 months, in order to obtain, or accompany such parent or spouse, in order to obtain, temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural or fishing work— “(A) has moved from one school district to another; “(B) in a State that is comprised of a single school district, has moved from one administrative area to another within such district; or “(C) resides in a school district of more than 15,000 square miles, and migrates a distance of 20 miles or more to a temporary residence to engage in a fishing activity.”

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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 6399

Title 20Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73