Restoration of Parental Rights and State Sovereignty Act of 2015

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to restore State sovereignty over public education and parental rights over the education of their children. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Restoration of Parental Rights and State Sovereignty Act of 2015 2. Restoration of State sovereignty over public education and parental rights over the education of their children Part E of title IX of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7881 et seq. 3 Restoration of State sovereignty over public education and parental rights over the education of their children 9541. States to retain rights and authorities they do not expressly waive (a) Retention of rights and authorities No officer, employee, or other authority of the Secretary shall enforce against an authority of a State, nor shall any authority of a State have any obligation to obey, any requirement imposed as a condition of receiving assistance under a grant program established under this Act, nor shall such program operate within a State, unless the legislature of that State shall have by law expressly approved that program and, in doing so, have waived the State’s rights and authorities to act inconsistently with any requirement that might be imposed by the Secretary as a condition of receiving that assistance. (b) Amendment of terms of receipt of Federal financial assistance An officer, employee, or other authority of the Secretary may release assistance under a grant program established under this Act to a State only after the legislature of the State has by law expressly approved the program (as described in subsection (a)). This approval may be accomplished by a vote to affirm a State budget that includes the use of such Federal funds and any such State budget must expressly include any requirement imposed as a condition of receiving assistance under a grant program established under this Act so that by approving the budget, the State legislature is expressly approving the grant program and, in doing so, waiving the State’s rights and authorities to act inconsistently with any requirement that might be imposed by the Secretary as a condition of receiving that assistance. (c) Special rule for States with biennial legislatures In the case of a State with a biennial legislature— (1) during a year in which the State legislature does not meet, subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply; and (2) during a year in which the State legislature meets, subsections (a) and (b) shall apply, and, with respect to any grant program established under this Act during the most recent year in which the State legislature did not meet, the State may by law expressly disapprove the grant program, and, if such disapproval occurs, an officer, employee, or other authority of the Secretary may not release any additional assistance to the State under that grant program. (d) Definition of state authority As used in this section, the term authority of a State (e) Effective date This section applies in each State beginning on the 90th day after the end of the first regular session of the legislature of that State that begins 5 years after the date of the enactment of the Restoration of Parental Rights and State Sovereignty Act of 2015 9542. Dedication of savings to deficit reduction Notwithstanding any formula reallocations stipulated under this Act, any funds under this Act not allocated to a State because a State did not affirmatively agree to the receipt of such funds shall not be reallocated among the States. 9543. Definition of State with biennial legislature In this Act, the term State with a biennial legislature 9544. Intent of Congress It is the intent of Congress that other than the terms and conditions expressly approved by State law under the terms of this subpart, control over public education and parental rights to control the education of their children are vested exclusively within the autonomous zone of independent authority reserved to the States and individual Americans by the United States Constitution, other than the Federal Government’s undiminishable obligation to enforce minimum Federal standards of equal protection and due process. . 3. Table of contents The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating to subpart 2 of part E of title IX the following: Subpart 3—Restoration of State Sovereignty over Public Education and Parental Rights over the Education of their Children 9541. States to retain rights and authorities they do not expressly waive. 9542. Dedication of savings to deficit reduction. 9543. Definition of State with biennial legislature. 9544. Intent of Congress. .

Summary: Restoration of Parental Rights and State Sovereignty Act of 2015 Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit the Secretary of Education from forcing a state to satisfy any requirement imposed as a condition of receiving assistance under an ESEA grant program. Prohibits the Secretary from releasing assistance to a state under an ESEA grant program unless the state's legislature has by law expressly approved the program. Allows that approval to be accomplished by a vote to affirm a state budget that includes the use of such federal funds, but requires that budget to expressly include any requirement imposed as a condition on the state's receipt of those funds. Prohibits ESEA funds that are not allocated to a state due to the state's failure to affirmatively agree to their receipt from being reallocated among the other states. Expresses the intent of Congress that control over public education and parental rights to control their children's education is vested exclusively within the authority reserved to the states and individual Americans by the Constitution, except when states expressly approve federal terms or conditions on educational assistance or the federal government is obliged to enforce minimum federal equal protection or due process standards.