Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act in plain language
1: Short title
This section would let the Act be cited as the "Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act."
Show official text
1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act .
2: Parents’ right to know about foreign influence
This section would add a new section, 8549D, to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, creating a condition that local educational agencies (school districts) would have to meet to keep receiving funds under that Act. Each elementary and secondary school served by such an agency would have to give every parent of an enrolled child, at minimum, three rights. First, a parent would have the right to review and get free copies, consistent with copyright law, of any curricular material or professional development material used at the school that the school bought or otherwise obtained using funds received from the government of a foreign country or from a foreign entity of concern; the school would have to make such material available for review at least every four weeks, and respond to any parent's written request within 30 days of submission. Second, a parent would have the right to a written response, within 30 days of a written request, stating how many school personnel are compensated, in whole or in part, with funds received from the government of a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern. Third, a parent would have the right to a written response, within 30 days of a written request, disclosing any donation the school or local educational agency received from a foreign country or foreign entity of concern, any written agreement (such as a contract or memorandum of understanding) between the school or agency and a foreign country or foreign entity of concern, and any financial transaction between the school or agency and a foreign country or foreign entity of concern. For each such donation, agreement, or transaction disclosed, the response would have to include at least the name of the foreign country or foreign entity of concern, and, whenever funds were actually received, the amount of those funds and any terms or conditions that applied to receiving them. At the start of each school year, a local educational agency receiving funds under the Act would have to ensure that each of its schools posts a summary notice of these parental rights on the school's public website, or, if the school has no website, widely distributes the summary notice to the public instead. Also at the start of each school year, the Secretary of Education would have to notify state educational agencies of these requirements, and, as a condition of receiving funds under the Act, state educational agencies would in turn have to notify their local educational agencies of the requirements at the start of each school year. The new section defines "foreign country" to mean a foreign country or a dependent territory or possession of a foreign country, but not any U.S. outlying area, and defines "foreign entity of concern" by pointing to the meaning already given that term in section 10612(a) of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19221(a)). This section would also add a line to the table of contents of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 listing this new section 8549D.
Show official text
2. Parents’ right to know about foreign influence (a) In general Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 8549D. Parents’ right to know about foreign influence (a) In general As a condition of receiving funds under this Act, a local educational agency shall ensure that each elementary school and each secondary school served by such agency provides to each parent of a child attending the school, at a minimum— (1) the right (in a manner consistent with copyright law) to review, and make copies of free of cost, at least every four weeks and not later than 30 days after submission of a written request by the parent, any curricular material or professional development material used at the school that was purchased, or otherwise obtained, using funds received from the government of a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern; (2) the right to know, by written response provided not later than 30 days after submission of a written request by the parent, how many personnel of the school are compensated, in whole or in part, using funds received from the government of a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern; and (3) the right to know, by written response provided not later than 30 days after submission of a written request by the parent, of— (A) any donation received by the school or local educational agency from a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern; (B) any agreement in writing (such as a contract or memorandum of understanding) between the school or local educational agency and a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern; and (C) any financial transaction between the school or local educational agency and a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern. (b) Donations, agreements, and financial transactions The information described in subsection (a)(3) shall include, at minimum, the following: (1) The name of the foreign country or foreign entity of concern. (2) In any case in which funds were received by the school or local educational agency from a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern— (A) the amount of such funds; and (B) any terms or conditions applicable to the receipt of such funds. (c) Notice of rights At the beginning of each school year, a local educational agency receiving funds under this Act shall ensure that each elementary school and each secondary school served by such agency posts on a publicly accessible website of the school or, if the school does not operate a website, widely disseminates to the public, a summary notice of the rights of parents described in subsections (a) and (b). (d) Notification of requirements At the beginning of each school year, the Secretary shall notify State educational agencies about the requirements of this section. As a condition of receiving funds under this Act, State educational agencies shall, at the beginning of each school year, notify local educational agencies of the requirements of this section. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) The term foreign country means a foreign country or a dependent territory or possession of a foreign country. Such term does not include any of the outlying areas. (2) The term foreign entity of concern has the meaning given such term in section 10612(a) of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 19221(a) ). . (b) Table of contents The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8549C the following: Sec. 8549D. Parents’ right to know about foreign influence. .