[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2967 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2967
To prohibit the Federal Government from mandating, incentivizing, or
coercing States to adopt the Common Core State Standards or any other
specific academic standards, instructional content, curricula,
assessments, or programs of instruction.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 2, 2014
Mr. Vitter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prohibit the Federal Government from mandating, incentivizing, or
coercing States to adopt the Common Core State Standards or any other
specific academic standards, instructional content, curricula,
assessments, or programs of instruction.
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 ``Local Control of Education Act''.
SEC. 2. GENERAL ESEA PROHIBITION.
(a) In General.--Section 9527 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7907) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(e) Prohibition of Federal Government Mandating Common Standards,
Programs of Instruction, Curricula, Assessments, or Academic
Standards.--An officer or employee of the Federal Government shall not
directly or indirectly, through grants, contracts, or other cooperative
agreements under this Act (including waivers under section 9401)--
``(1) mandate, direct, or control a State, local
educational agency, or school's specific instructional content
or any specific academic standard, assessment, curriculum, or
program of instruction, including through any requirement,
direction, condition, or mandate to adopt--
``(A) the Common Core State Standards developed
under the Common Core State Standards Initiative, any
other academic standards common to a number of States,
or any specific statewide or nationally recognized
content standards; or
``(B) any assessment, instructional content, or
curriculum aligned to, or based on, specific academic
standards, including any of the standards described in
subparagraph (A);
``(2) incentivize a State, local educational agency, or
school to adopt any specific instructional content, academic
standard, assessment, curriculum, commonality of standards or
assessments, or program of instruction described in paragraph
(1), which shall include providing any priority, preference, or
special consideration during the application process based on
any specific content, standard, assessment, curriculum,
commonality, or program; or
``(3) make financial support available in a manner that is
conditioned upon a State, local educational agency, or school's
adoption of any specific instructional content, academic
standard, assessment, curriculum, commonality of standards or
assessments, or program of instruction described in paragraph
(1), even if such requirements are specified in section 14006
or 14007 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(Public Law 111-5; 123 Stat. 281) or any other Act.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 9527(a) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7907(a)) is amended by
striking ``curriculum, program of instruction, or''.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING ADOPTION OF COMMON STANDARDS WITH
RESPECT TO WAIVERS.
(a) Prohibition.--Section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7861) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(h) Prohibition on Requiring Certain Standards for Waivers.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall not require that a
State, local educational agency, Indian tribe, or school adopt,
as a prerequisite or condition for any waiver under this
section, any specific instructional content, academic standard,
assessment, curriculum, or program of instruction, including--
``(A) the Common Core State Standards developed
under the Common Core State Standards Initiative, any
other academic standards common to a number of States,
or any specific statewide or nationally recognized
content standards; or
``(B) any assessment, instructional content, or
curriculum aligned to, or based on, any specific
academic standards, including any of the standards
described in subparagraph (A).
``(2) Effect on previously issued waivers.--
``(A) In general.--Any requirement described in
paragraph (1) that was required for a waiver provided
to a State, local educational agency, Indian tribe, or
school under this section before the date of enactment
of the Local Control of Education Act shall be void and
have no force of law.
``(B) Prohibited actions.--The Secretary shall
not--
``(i) enforce any requirement that is void
pursuant to subparagraph (A); and
``(ii) require the State, local educational
agency, Indian tribe, or school to reapply for
a waiver, or to agree to any other conditions
to replace any requirements that is void
pursuant to subparagraph (A), until the end of
the period of time specified under the waiver.
``(C) No effect on other provisions.--Any other
provisions or requirements of a waiver provided under
this section before the date of enactment of the Local
Control of Education Act that are not affected by
subparagraph (A) shall remain in effect for the period
of time specified under the waiver.''.
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION IN RACE TO THE TOP FUNDING.
Title XIV of Division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) is amended by inserting after section
14007 the following:
``SEC. 14007A. PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING OR PREFERRING COMMON STANDARDS.
``The prohibitions of section 9527(e) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 shall apply to each grant awarded under
section 14006 or 14007 in the same manner as such prohibitions apply to
a grant awarded under such Act.''.
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