Title 20EducationRelease 119-73

§7910 Limitations on national testing or certification for teachers, principals, or other school leaders

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 70— - STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VIII— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › Part Part F— - Uniform Provisions › Subpart subpart 2— - other provisions › § 7910

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Federal education money cannot pay for any required national test or required national certification for teachers, principals, other school leaders, or paraprofessionals. That includes planning, creating, running, or giving incentives for those tests or certifications. The Education Secretary also may not take away funds from a State or local school agency because it did not use a particular method to certify teachers or paraprofessionals.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §7910

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or any other provision of law, no funds available to the Department or otherwise available under this chapter may be used for any purpose relating to a mandatory nationwide test or certification of teachers, principals, other school leaders, or education paraprofessionals, including any planning, development, implementation, or administration of, or incentive regarding, such test or certification.
(b)The Secretary is prohibited from withholding funds from any State educational agency or local educational agency if the State educational agency or local educational agency fails to adopt a specific method of teacher or paraprofessional certification.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 7910, Pub. L. 89–10, title IX, § 9210, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3804, related to Native Hawaiian community-based education learning centers, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter IX of this chapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–95, § 8027(1), inserted “, principals, or other school leaders” after “teachers” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–95, § 8027(3), inserted “, principals, other school leaders,” after “teachers” and “, or incentive regarding,” after “administration of”. Pub. L. 114–95, § 8027(2), which directed amendment of subsection heading by inserting “, principals, or other school leaders” after “teachers”, was executed by making the insertion in the heading of subsec. (a) to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

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. § 7910

Title 20Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73