[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2213 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2213

 To allow all States to participate in activities under the Education 
               Flexibility Partnership Demonstration Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 1998

 Mr. Frist (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Glenn, 
   Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. Ford, Mr. Helms, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Roth, Ms. 
Collins, and Mr. Smith of Oregon) introduced the following bill; which 
    was read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To allow all States to participate in activities under the Education 
               Flexibility Partnership Demonstration Act.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Education Flexibility Amendments of 
1998''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) States differ substantially in demographics, in level 
        of urbanization, in geography, and in school governance. The 
        administrative and funding mechanisms that help schools in 1 
        State improve may not prove successful in other States.
            (2) State and local educational agencies are required to 
        complete numerous reporting requirements established by Federal 
        rule or regulation. States and schools need flexibility, with 
        respect to Federal and State rules and regulations, to devise 
        the best way in differing situations to achieve the goals of 
        Federal and State education laws.
            (3) To achieve the State goals for the education of 
        children in the State, the focus must be on results, not 
        process.
            (4) Activities assisted under the Education Flexibility 
        Partnership Demonstration Act, as implemented by 12 States--
                    (A) represent a significant step in focusing on 
                results not process; and
                    (B) give States substantial flexibility in exchange 
                for accountability.

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF THE EDUCATION FLEXIBILITY PARTNERSHIP 
              DEMONSTRATION ACT.

    (a) In General.--Section 311(e) of the Goals 2000: Educate America 
Act (20 U.S.C. 5891(e)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as 
                follows:
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may carry out an 
                education demonstration program under which the 
                Secretary authorizes--
                            ``(i) a State educational agency that 
                        serves an eligible State to waive statutory or 
                        regulatory requirements applicable to 1 or more 
                        programs or Acts described in subsection (b), 
                        other than requirements described in subsection 
                        (c), for the State educational agency or any 
                        local educational agency or school within the 
                        State; and
                            ``(ii) a State educational agency that 
                        serves an eligible State and participated in 
                        the program under this subsection prior to the 
                        date of enactment of the Education Flexibility 
                        Amendments of 1998 to waive statutory or 
                        regulatory requirements applicable to 1 or more 
                        programs or Acts described in subsection (b), 
                        title III of the Elementary and Secondary 
                        Education Act of 1965, or the Adult Education 
                        Act, other than requirements described in 
                        subsection (c), for the State educational 
                        agency or any local educational agency or 
                        school within the State.'';
                    (B) by striking subparagraph (B); and
                    (C) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                subparagraph (B); and
            (2) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``(i)'' after 
                ``(A)'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; or'';
                    (C) by redesignating subparagraph (B) (as amended 
                by subparagraph (B)) as clause (ii); and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) has a consolidated State plan or a 
                consolidated State application approved by the 
                Secretary under section 14302 of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965.''.
    (b) Funding.--Section 311(e) of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act 
(20 U.S.C. 5891(e)) is amended further by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(h) Funding.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law and 
using any funds available to the Secretary, the Secretary shall make 
available such funds as are necessary to carry out this subsection for 
each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2003.''.
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