§7907 — Title 20 Education | U.S. Code

Summary

Federal officials and the Department of Education cannot force a State, school district, or school to use a particular curriculum, lesson plan, or how to spend its own money. They also cannot make a State pay costs that this law does not cover. Money given under this law cannot be used by the Department to endorse, approve, create, require, or back any school curriculum — including the Common Core or other standards used by many states. The law does not give federal staff power to control or review local teaching content. It does not change the General Education Provisions Act, does not order the spread of false scientific or medical material (or block true material), and does not create a private legal right. States do not have to get federal approval for their standards to get aid, may use funds to adopt or make their own standards and curriculum under state law and grant rules, and are not forced to follow national school building rules.

Title 20, §7907

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to authorize an officer or employee of the Federal Government, including through a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, to mandate, direct, or control a State, local educational agency, or school’s curriculum, program of instruction, or allocation of State or local resources, or mandate a State or any subdivision thereof to spend any funds or incur any costs not paid for under this chapter.

(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law, no funds provided to the Department under this chapter may be used by the Department, whether through a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, to endorse, approve, develop, require, or sanction any curriculum, including any curriculum aligned to the Common Core State Standards developed under the Common Core State Standards Initiative or any other academic standards common to a significant number of States, designed to be used in an elementary school or secondary school.

(c)Nothing in this section shall be construed to—

(1)authorize an officer or employee of the Federal Government, whether through a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement to mandate, direct, review, or control a State, local educational agency, or school’s instructional content, curriculum, and related activities;

(2)limit the application of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.);

(3)require the distribution of scientifically or medically false or inaccurate materials or to prohibit the distribution of scientifically or medically true or accurate materials; or

(4)create any legally enforceable right.

(d)(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law, no State shall be required to have academic standards approved or certified by the Federal Government, in order to receive assistance under this chapter.

(2)Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a State, local educational agency, or school from using funds provided under this chapter for the development or implementation of any instructional content, academic standards, academic assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction that a State, local educational agency, or school chooses, as permitted under State and local law, as long as the use of such funds is consistent with the terms of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement providing such funds.

(3)Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to mandate national school building standards for a State, local educational agency, or school.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The General Education Provisions Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), is title IV of Pub. L. 90–247, Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 814, which is classified generally to chapter 31 (§ 1221 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1221 of this title and Tables.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 7907, Pub. L. 89–10, title IX, § 9207, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3801, related to Native Hawaiian gifted and talented program, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter IX of this chapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–95, § 8024, amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section consisted of subsecs. (a) to (d) relating to prohibitions on Federal Government and use of Federal funds.

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.

§7907 Prohibitions on Federal Government and Use of Federal Funds