119-s309

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 309 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 309

To allow a State to submit a declaration of intent to the Secretary of 
Education to combine certain funds to improve the academic achievement 
 of students.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 29, 2025

Mr. Daines (for himself, Mr. Lankford, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Lummis, Mr. 
Hagerty, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Johnson, Mr. 
Sheehy, Mr. Budd, and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following bill; which 
 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
 Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To allow a State to submit a declaration of intent to the Secretary of 
Education to combine certain funds to improve the academic achievement 
 of students.

 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 ``Academic Partnerships Lead Us to 
Success Act'' or the ``A PLUS Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

 The purposes of this Act are as follows:

    (1) To give States and local communities added flexibility 
 to determine how to improve academic achievement and implement 
 education reforms.

    (2) To reduce the administrative costs and compliance 
 burden of Federal education programs in order to focus Federal 
 resources on improving academic achievement.

    (3) To ensure that States and communities are accountable 
 to the public for advancing the academic achievement of all 
 students, especially disadvantaged children.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided, the terms 
 used in this Act have the meanings given the terms in 

section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
 U.S.C. 7801 et seq.).

    (2) Accountability.--The term ``accountability'' means that 
 public schools are answerable to parents and other taxpayers 
 for the use of public funds and shall report student progress 
 to parents and taxpayers regularly.

    (3) Declaration of intent.--The term ``declaration of 
 intent'' means a decision by a State, as determined by State 
 Authorizing Officials or by referendum, to assume full 
 management responsibility for the expenditure of Federal funds 
 for certain eligible programs for the purpose of advancing, on 
 a more comprehensive and effective basis, the educational 
 policy of such State.

    (4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such 
 term in 

section 1122

    (e) of the Elementary and Secondary 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6332

    (e) ).

    (5) State authorizing officials.--The term ``State 
 Authorizing Officials'' means the State officials who shall 
 authorize the submission of a declaration of intent, and any 
 amendments thereto, on behalf of the State. Such officials 
 shall include not less than 2 of the following:
        (A) The Governor of the State.
        (B) The highest elected education official of the 
 State, if any.
            (C) The legislature of the State.

    (6) State designated officer.--The term ``State Designated 
 Officer'' means the person designated by the State Authorizing 
 Officials to submit to the Secretary, on behalf of the State, a 
 declaration of intent, and any amendments thereto, and to 
 function as the point-of-contact for the State for the 
 Secretary and others relating to any responsibilities arising 
 under this Act.

SEC. 4. DECLARATION OF INTENT.

    (a) In General.--Each State is authorized to submit to the 
Secretary a declaration of intent permitting the State to receive 
Federal funds on a consolidated basis to manage the expenditure of such 
funds to advance the educational policy of the State.

    (b) Programs Eligible for Consolidation and Permissible Use of 
Funds.--

    (1) Scope.--A State may choose to include within the scope 
 of the State's declaration of intent any program for which 
 Congress makes funds available to the State if the program is 
 for a purpose described in the Elementary and Secondary 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301). A State may not include 
 any program funded pursuant to the Individuals with 
 Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.).

    (2) Uses of funds.--Funds made available to a State 
 pursuant to a declaration of intent under this Act shall be 
 used for any educational purpose permitted by State law of the 
 State submitting a declaration of intent.

    (3) Removal of fiscal and accounting barriers.--Each State 
 educational agency that operates under a declaration of intent 
 under this Act shall modify or eliminate State fiscal and 
 accounting barriers that prevent local educational agencies and 
 schools from easily consolidating funds from other Federal, 
 State, and local sources in order to improve educational 
 opportunities and reduce unnecessary fiscal and accounting 
 requirements.
            (c) Contents of Declaration.--Each declaration of intent shall 
contain--

    (1) a list of eligible programs that are subject to the 
 declaration of intent;

    (2) an assurance that the submission of the declaration of 
 intent has been authorized by the State Authorizing Officials, 
 specifying the identity of the State Designated Officer;

    (3) the duration of the declaration of intent;

    (4) an assurance that the State will use fiscal control and 
 fund accounting procedures;

    (5) an assurance that the State will meet the requirements 
 of applicable Federal civil rights laws in carrying out the 
 declaration of intent and in consolidating and using the funds 
 under the declaration of intent;

    (6) an assurance that in implementing the declaration of 
 intent the State will seek to advance educational opportunities 
 for the disadvantaged;

    (7) a description of the plan for maintaining direct 
 accountability to parents and other citizens of the State; and

    (8) an assurance that in implementing the declaration of 
 intent, the State will seek to use Federal funds to supplement, 
 rather than supplant, State education funding.
            (d) Duration.--The duration of the declaration of intent shall not 
exceed 5 years.

    (e) Review and Recognition by the Secretary.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall review the declaration 
 of intent received from the State Designated Officer not more 
 than 60 days after the date of receipt of such declaration, and 
 shall recognize such declaration of intent unless the 
 declaration of intent fails to meet the requirements under 
 subsection
            (c) .

    (2) Recognition by operation of law.--If the Secretary 
 fails to take action within the time specified in paragraph

    (1) , the declaration of intent, as submitted, shall be deemed 
 to be approved.

    (f) Amendment to Declaration of Intent.--

    (1) In general.--The State Authorizing Officials may direct 
 the State Designated Officer to submit amendments to a 
 declaration of intent that is in effect. Such amendments shall 
 be submitted to the Secretary and considered by the Secretary 
 in accordance with subsection

    (e) .

    (2) Amendments authorized.--A declaration of intent that is 
 in effect may be amended to--
        (A) expand the scope of such declaration of intent 
 to encompass additional eligible programs;
        (B) reduce the scope of such declaration of intent 
 by excluding coverage of a Federal program included in 
 the original declaration of intent;
            (C) modify the duration of such declaration of 
 intent; or
            (D) achieve such other modifications as the State 
 Authorizing Officials deem appropriate.

    (3) Effective date.--The amendment shall specify an 
 effective date. Such effective date shall provide adequate time 
 to assure full compliance with Federal program requirements 
 relating to an eligible program that has been removed from the 
 coverage of the declaration of intent by the proposed 
 amendment.

    (4) Treatment of program funds withdrawn from declaration 
 of intent.--Beginning on the effective date of an amendment 
 executed under paragraph

    (2)
        (B) , each program requirement of 
 each program removed from the declaration of intent shall apply 
 to the State's use of funds made available under the program.

SEC. 5. TRANSPARENCY FOR RESULTS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.

    (a) In General.--Each State operating under a declaration of intent 
under this Act shall inform parents and the general public regarding 
the student achievement assessment system, demonstrating student 
progress relative to the State's determination of student proficiency 
for the purpose of public accountability to parents and taxpayers.

    (b) Accountability System.--The State shall determine and establish 
an accountability system to ensure accountability under this Act.
            (c) Report on Student Progress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
effective date of the declaration of intent, and annually thereafter, a 
State shall disseminate widely to parents and the general public a 
report that describes student progress. The report shall include--

    (1) student performance data disaggregated in the same 
 manner as data are disaggregated under 

section 1111

    (b)

    (2)
        (B)
            (xi) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311

    (b)

    (2)
        (B)
            (xi) ); and

    (2) a description of how the State has used Federal funds 
 to improve academic achievement, reduce achievement disparities 
 between various student groups, and improve educational 
 opportunities for the disadvantaged.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection

    (b) , the amount 
that a State with a declaration of intent may expend for administrative 
expenses shall be limited to 1 percent of the aggregate amount of 
Federal funds made available to the State through the eligible programs 
included within the scope of such declaration of intent.

    (b) States Not Consolidating Funds Under Part A of Title I.--If the 
declaration of intent does not include within its scope part A of title 
I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 
et seq.), the amount spent by the State on administrative expenses 
shall be limited to 3 percent of the aggregate amount of Federal funds 
made available to the State pursuant to such declaration of intent.

SEC. 7. EQUITABLE PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

 Each State consolidating and using funds pursuant to a declaration 
of intent under this Act shall provide for the participation of private 
school children and teachers in the activities assisted under the 
declaration of intent in the same manner as participation is provided 
to private school children and teachers under 

section 8501 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7881).
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