I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8994 

To amend the Department of Education Organization Act to permit appeals 

of certain determinations made by the Office of Civil Rights of the 

Department of Education made with respect to complaints filed between 

March 5, 2018, and November 18, 2018. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 16, 2020 

Ms. UNDERWOOD (for herself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. NORTON, 

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. MOORE, Mr. KILDEE, and Ms. JAYAPAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To amend the Department of Education Organization Act 

to permit appeals of certain determinations made by 

the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education made with respect to complaints filed between 

March 5, 2018, and November 18, 2018. 

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 ‘‘Restoring Students’ 

5 Right to Appeal Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RIGHT TO APPEAL CERTAIN DETERMINATIONS 

2 MADE WITH RESPECT TO CIVIL RIGHTS COM3 PLAINTS FILED BETWEEN MARCH 5, 2018, 

4 AND NOVEMBER 18, 2018. 

5 Section 203 of the Department of Education Organi6 zation Act (20 U.S.C. 3413) is amended by adding at the 

7 end the following: 

8 ‘‘(d)(1) An individual who filed a complaint with the 

9 Office of Civil Rights between March 5, 2018, and Novem10 ber, 18, 2018, and who received an investigative deter11 mination of insufficient evidence shall have the right to 

12 file with such Office an appeal of such determination in 

13 accordance with this subsection. 

14 ‘‘(2) Not later than 60 days after the effective date 

15 of this subsection, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 

16 shall conduct outreach to inform each individual described 

17 in paragraph (1) of the right to file such appeal. Such 

18 outreach shall include the following: 

19 ‘‘(A) The Assistant Secretary shall publish on 

20 the website of the Department a notice that each in21 dividual described in paragraph (1) has the right to 

22 file such appeal. 

23 ‘‘(B) The Assistant Secretary shall notify in 

24 writing each individual described in paragraph (1) of 

25 the right to file such appeal during the 60–day peVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:40 Jan 04, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8994.IH H8994

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1 riod that begins on the date such individual receives 

2 the written notice of such right. 

3 ‘‘(C) Not later than 180 days after the effective 

4 date of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit a 

5 report to the Committee on Education and Labor of 

6 the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

7 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen8 ate that includes— 

9 ‘‘(i) with respect to each complaint de10 scribed in paragraph (1), information that 

11 specifies— 

12 ‘‘(I) each Federal civil rights law that 

13 such complainant alleged was violated; 

14 ‘‘(II) the date on which such com15 plaint was filed; 

16 ‘‘(III) the date on which any previous 

17 appeal of such determination was filed; 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(IV) the then current status of such 

20 complaint; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) information describing in detail the 

22 outreach conducted under this paragraph to in23 form individuals described in paragraph (1) of 

24 the right to appeal under this subsection. 


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1 ‘‘(D) Data reported under this subsection shall 

2 be reported in accordance with applicable privacy 

3 laws and regulations.’’. 

Æ 


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