[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6808 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6808
To improve transparency relating to the expenditure of Federal
emergency relief funds for elementary and secondary schools, and for
other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 22, 2022
Mr. Gallagher introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
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A BILL
To improve transparency relating to the expenditure of Federal
emergency relief funds for elementary and secondary schools, and for
other purposes.
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 ``Spending Every Nickel on Student
Education Act'' or the ``SENSE Act''.
SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON EXPENDITURE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS.
(a) LEA Reports.--On an annual basis, in accordance with subsection
(d), each local education agency that received funds under section 2001
of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 20 U.S.C.
3401 note) shall submit to the State in which the agency is located a
report on the expenditure of such funds during the preceding year. Each
report shall--
(1) describe the purposes for which the local educational
agency expended such funds during the year covered by the
report;
(2) indicate whether such expenditures are consistent with
the plan submitted by the agency pursuant to the interim final
requirement of the Department of Education titled ``American
Rescue Plan Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency
Relief Fund, LEA ARP ESSER Plans'' (86 Fed. Reg. 21198; April
22, 2021) and, if such expenditures are not consistent with
that plan, provide an explanation for the inconsistency; and
(3) provide the information required under paragraphs (1)
and (2) in a format and level of detail that is consistent with
the State and Federal requirements applicable to the plans
described in paragraph (2).
(b) State Reports.--On an annual basis, not later than 90 days
after receiving the reports from local educational agencies under
subsection (a), each State shall--
(1) compile the reports;
(2) transmit the compiled reports to the Secretary of
Education; and
(3) make the reports available on a publicly accessible
website of the State in a format that is downloadable,
searchable, and sortable.
(c) Posting by Secretary.--The Secretary of Education shall make
each report received from a State under subsection (b) available on a
publicly accessible website of the Department of Education.
(d) Annual Submittal and Termination.--
(1) Annual submittal date.--The reports required under
subsection (a) shall be submitted each year on a date
determined by the Secretary of Education that is at least 30
days before funds are allocated to States under part A of title
I of the Elementary and Secondary and Education Act (20 U.S.C.
6311 et seq.) for the next school year.
(2) Termination of reporting requirement.--
(A) Final report.--After the date specified in
subparagraph (B), a local educational agency shall
submit a final report in accordance with subsection
(a). Following the submission of such final report, the
requirement of a local educational agency to submit
further reports under subsection (a) shall terminate.
(B) Date described.--The date specified in this
subparagraph is the earlier of--
(i) the date on which the local educational
agency has obligated all funds received by the
agency under section 2001 of the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 20
U.S.C. 3401 note); or
(ii) the date by which the local
educational agency is required to obligate such
funds in accordance with such section.
(e) Enforcement.--A local educational agency that does not submit a
report required under subsection (a) by the date determined by the
Secretary under subsection (d)(1), shall not be eligible to receive
Federal funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) for the next year for
which such funds are allocated.
(f) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``local educational
agency'' and ``State'' have the meanings given those terms in section
8101 if the Elementary ad Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
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