II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4261 

To establish a grant program to assist elementary and secondary schools 

with reopening after closures related to COVID–19, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 22, 2020 

Mr. PERDUE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish a grant program to assist elementary and secondary schools with reopening after closures related to 

COVID–19, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safely Creating 

5 Healthy Opening Options Locally Act’’ or the ‘‘SCHOOL 

6 Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The absence of in-person learning has re2 minded the Nation of how critical schools are for 

3 children, parents, families, and their communities. 

4 (2) Our Nation’s goal is safely getting students 

5 back to school in the Fall. To do so successfully, our 

6 teachers and schools will need the support necessary 

7 to maintain safety. 

8 (3) School districts must apply recommenda9 tions from State and local health officials to ensure 

10 that students, teachers, and faculty can safely re11 turn to the classroom. 

12 SEC. 3. STATE GRANT PROGRAM TO SAFELY REOPEN 

13 SCHOOLS. 

14 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

15 (1) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 

16 ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 

17 the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec18 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

19 (2) PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.—The 

20 term ‘‘personal protective equipment’’ has the mean21 ing given the term in section 20005 of the CARES 

22 Act (Public Law 116–136). 

23 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

24 the Secretary of Education. 


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1 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF GRANT PROGRAM.—From 

2 the amount appropriated to carry out this section, the Sec3 retary, acting in partnership with the Secretary of Health 

4 and Human Services, shall award grants to local education 

5 agencies to enable those local educational agencies to carry 

6 out the activities described in subsection (d). 

7 (c) APPLICATIONS; AWARD CRITERIA.— 

8 (1) APPLICATION.—A local educational agency 

9 desiring a grant under this section shall submit an 

10 application to the Secretary at such time, in such 

11 manner, and containing such information as the Sec12 retary may require, including— 

13 (A) school reopening plans, which shall in14 clude— 

15 (i) a process for notifying parents of 

16 a student’s potential interaction with 

17 known cases of COVID–19 during school 

18 activities, which shall be carried out in a 

19 manner that complies with the require20 ments under section 444 of the General 

21 Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 

22 1232g), commonly known as the ‘‘Family 

23 Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 

24 1974’’, and other applicable privacy laws, 

25 and is developed and implemented in conVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:57 Aug 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4261.IS S4261

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1 sultation with administrators of the local 

2 educational agency and State and local 

3 public health officials; and 

4 (ii) a certification that those reopen5 ing plans do not infringe on student suc6 cess and meet the guidelines, recommenda7 tions, and other public health communica8 tions issued by the Centers for Disease 

9 Control and Prevention; and 

10 (B) information relating to the award cri11 teria described in paragraph (2). 

12 (2) AWARD CRITERIA.—In awarding grants 

13 under this section, the Secretary shall determine 

14 which local educational agencies will receive a grant, 

15 and the amount of each such grant, after consid16 ering school size, school setting, specific school 

17 needs, and timing of in-person classes. 

18 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—A local educational agency re19 ceiving funds under this section shall use such funds to 

20 carry out one or more of the following: 

21 (1) Purchasing personal protective equipment. 

22 (2) Cleaning and disinfection of schools. 

23 (3) Purchase of supplies necessary to carry out 

24 reopening plans described in subsection (c). 


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1 (4) Paying costs associated with school compli2 ance with guidelines, recommendations, and other 

3 public health communications issued by the Centers 

4 for Disease Control and Prevention, or a State, In5 dian Tribe, Tribal organization, or locality related to 

6 mitigating the hazards presented by Coronavirus 

7 Disease 2019 (COVID–19). 

8 SEC. 4. CONNECTING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WITH 

9 SCHOOLS. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in partnership 

11 with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 

12 develop a process for connecting health care professionals 

13 to schools in order to assist such schools with symptom 

14 checks, check-ins, and additional supports that schools 

15 need relating to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19). 

16 (b) TELEHEALTH.—The Secretary shall work jointly 

17 with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to de18 velop recommendations about how to expand access to 

19 telehealth services for students and teachers in areas with 

20 a shortage of health care professionals. 

21 (c) GUIDANCE ON REQUIREMENT FOR COVERAGE OF

22 TESTING FOR COVID–19 IN SCHOOL SETTINGS.—Not 

23 later than September 8, 2020, the Secretary of Health and 

24 Human Services shall issue guidance clarifying that the 

25 requirement under section 6001(a)(1) of the Families 


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1 First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116–127), 

2 as amended by the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136), 

3 applies in the case of items and services furnished to an 

4 individual during a health care provider office visit that 

5 occurs in a school setting through telehealth, to the extent 

6 provided in such section. 

7 (d) GUIDANCE ON PROVIDING REIMBURSEMENT FOR

8 TELEHEALTH SERVICES PROVIDED IN A SCHOOL-BASED

9 SETTING UNDER MEDICAID AND CHIP.—Not later than 

10 September 8, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human 

11 Services, through the Administrator of the Centers for 

12 Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall issue a State Health 

13 Official letter to advise directors of State Medicaid pro14 grams under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 

15 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and State Children’s Health Insur16 ance Programs under title XXI of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

17 1397aa et seq.) on how States may provide for coverage 

18 under such programs for telehealth services furnished to 

19 students, teachers, and other school officials in a school20 based setting, including actions States can take without 

21 Federal approval to provide coverage under such programs 

22 for such services. 


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1 SEC. 5. CLEARINGHOUSE OF BEST PRACTICES RELATING 

2 TO SCHOOL REOPENING. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish an 

4 online data clearinghouse to collect and maintain informa5 tion relating to school reopening after school closures due 

6 to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19), including best 

7 practices for such reopening. 

8 (b) CRITERIA FOR CLEARINGHOUSE INFORMA9 TION.—The information contained in such clearing10 house— 

11 (1) shall be evidence-based (as defined in sec12 tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu13 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); 

14 (2) shall not promote specific types of products; 

15 and 

16 (3) shall be organized by school setting (such as 

17 urban, rural, or suburban), school size, and the age 

18 of students attending the school. 

19 (c) PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.—The online data clear20 inghouse established under this section shall be publicly 

21 available online. 

22 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

23 There are authorized to be appropriated— 

24 (1) $50,000,000,000 to carry out section 3; and 

25 (2) $500,000,000 to carry out sections 4 and 5. 

Æ 


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