I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 719 
To allow a State to submit a declaration of intent to the Secretary of 
Education to combine certain funds to improve the academic achievement 
of students. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 27, 2017 
Mr. WALKER (for himself, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mr. BRAT, Mr. 
DESANTIS, Mr. BUDD, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. BUCK, Mr. 
GROTHMAN, Mr. PALMER, and Mr. SENSENBRENNER) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce 
A BILL 
To allow a State to submit a declaration of intent to the 
Secretary of Education to combine certain funds to im-
prove the academic achievement of students. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Academic Partnerships 
Lead Us to Success Act’’ or the ‘‘A PLUS Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are as follows: 
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(1) To give States and local communities added 
flexibility to determine how to improve academic 
achievement and implement education reforms. 
(2) To reduce the administrative costs and com-
pliance burden of Federal education programs in 
order to focus Federal resources on improving aca-
demic achievement. 
(3) To ensure that States and communities are 
accountable to the public for advancing the academic 
achievement of all students, especially disadvantaged 
children. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided, the terms used in this Act have the meanings 
given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801 et seq.). 
(2) ACCOUNTABILITY.—The term ‘‘account-
ability’’ means that public schools are answerable to 
parents and other taxpayers for the use of public 
funds and shall report student progress to parents 
and taxpayers regularly. 
(3) DECLARATION OF INTENT.—The term ‘‘dec-
laration of intent’’ means a decision by a State, as 
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determined by State Authorizing Officials or by ref-
erendum, to assume full management responsibility 
for the expenditure of Federal funds for certain eli-
gible programs for the purpose of advancing, on a 
more comprehensive and effective basis, the edu-
cational policy of such State. 
(4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 1122(e) of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6332(e)). 
(5) STATE AUTHORIZING OFFICIALS.—The term 
‘‘State Authorizing Officials’’ means the State offi-
cials who shall authorize the submission of a dec-
laration of intent, and any amendments thereto, on 
behalf of the State. Such officials shall include not 
less than 2 of the following: 
(A) The governor of the State. 
(B) The highest elected education official 
of the State, if any. 
(C) The legislature of the State. 
(6) STATE DESIGNATED OFFICER.—The term 
‘‘State Designated Officer’’ means the person des-
ignated by the State Authorizing Officials to submit 
to the Secretary, on behalf of the State, a declara-
tion of intent, and any amendments thereto, and to 
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function as the point-of-contact for the State for the 
Secretary and others relating to any responsibilities 
arising under this Act. 
SEC. 4. DECLARATION OF INTENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State is authorized to sub-
mit to the Secretary a declaration of intent permitting the 
State to receive Federal funds on a consolidated basis to 
manage the expenditure of such funds to advance the edu-
cational policy of the State. 
(b) PROGRAMS ELIGIBLE FOR CONSOLIDATION AND 
PERMISSIBLE USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) SCOPE.—A State may choose to include 
within the scope of the State’s declaration of intent 
any program for which Congress makes funds avail-
able to the State if the program is for a purpose de-
scribed in the Elementary and Education Secondary 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301). A State may not in-
clude any program funded pursuant to the Individ-
uals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
1400 et seq.). 
(2) USES OF FUNDS.—Funds made available to 
a State pursuant to a declaration of intent under 
this Act shall be used for any educational purpose 
permitted by State law of the State submitting a 
declaration of intent. 
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(3) REMOVAL
OF
FISCAL
AND
ACCOUNTING 
BARRIERS.—Each State educational agency that op-
erates under a declaration of intent under this Act 
shall modify or eliminate State fiscal and accounting 
barriers that prevent local educational agencies and 
schools from easily consolidating funds from other 
Federal, State, and local sources in order to improve 
educational opportunities and reduce unnecessary 
fiscal and accounting requirements. 
(c) CONTENTS OF DECLARATION.—Each declaration 
of intent shall contain— 
(1) a list of eligible programs that are subject 
to the declaration of intent; 
(2) an assurance that the submission of the 
declaration of intent has been authorized by the 
State Authorizing Officials, specifying the identity of 
the State Designated Officer; 
(3) the duration of the declaration of intent; 
(4) an assurance that the State will use fiscal 
control and fund accounting procedures; 
(5) an assurance that the State will meet the 
requirements of applicable Federal civil rights laws 
in carrying out the declaration of intent and in con-
solidating and using the funds under the declaration 
of intent; 
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(6) an assurance that in implementing the dec-
laration of intent the State will seek to advance edu-
cational opportunities for the disadvantaged; 
(7) a description of the plan for maintaining di-
rect accountability to parents and other citizens of 
the State; and 
(8) an assurance that in implementing the dec-
laration of intent, the State will seek to use Federal 
funds to supplement, rather than supplant, State 
education funding. 
(d) DURATION.—The duration of the declaration of 
intent shall not exceed 5 years. 
(e) REVIEW
AND
RECOGNITION
BY
THE
SEC-
RETARY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall review 
the declaration of intent received from the State 
Designated Officer not more than 60 days after the 
date of receipt of such declaration, and shall recog-
nize such declaration of intent unless the declaration 
of intent fails to meet the requirements under sub-
section (c). 
(2) RECOGNITION BY OPERATION OF LAW.—If 
the Secretary fails to take action within the time 
specified in paragraph (1), the declaration of intent, 
as submitted, shall be deemed to be approved. 
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(f) AMENDMENT TO DECLARATION OF INTENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The State Authorizing Offi-
cials may direct the State Designated Officer to sub-
mit amendments to a declaration of intent that is in 
effect. Such amendments shall be submitted to the 
Secretary and considered by the Secretary in accord-
ance with subsection (e). 
(2) AMENDMENTS AUTHORIZED.—A declaration 
of intent that is in effect may be amended to— 
(A) expand the scope of such declaration of 
intent to encompass additional eligible pro-
grams; 
(B) reduce the scope of such declaration of 
intent by excluding coverage of a Federal pro-
gram included in the original declaration of in-
tent; 
(C) modify the duration of such declara-
tion of intent; or 
(D) achieve such other modifications as the 
State Authorizing Officials deem appropriate. 
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment shall 
specify an effective date. Such effective date shall 
provide adequate time to assure full compliance with 
Federal program requirements relating to an eligible 
program that has been removed from the coverage of 
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the declaration of intent by the proposed amend-
ment. 
(4) TREATMENT
OF
PROGRAM
FUNDS
WITH-
DRAWN
FROM
DECLARATION
OF
INTENT.—Begin-
ning on the effective date of an amendment executed 
under paragraph (2)(B), each program requirement 
of each program removed from the declaration of in-
tent shall apply to the State’s use of funds made 
available under the program. 
SEC. 5. TRANSPARENCY FOR RESULTS OF PUBLIC EDU-
CATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State operating under a 
declaration of intent under this Act shall inform parents 
and the general public regarding the student achievement 
assessment system, demonstrating student progress rel-
ative to the State’s determination of student proficiency 
for the purpose of public accountability to parents and 
taxpayers. 
(b) ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.—The State shall de-
termine and establish an accountability system to ensure 
accountability under this Act. 
(c) REPORT
ON STUDENT PROGRESS.—Not later 
than 1 year after the effective date of the declaration of 
intent, and annually thereafter, a State shall disseminate 
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widely to parents and the general public a report that de-
scribes student progress. The report shall include— 
(1) student performance data disaggregated in 
the same manner as data are disaggregated under 
section 1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311(b)(2)(B)(xi)); and 
(2) a description of how the State has used 
Federal funds to improve academic achievement, re-
duce achievement disparities between various stu-
dent groups, and improve educational opportunities 
for the disadvantaged. 
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(b), the amount that a State with a declaration of intent 
may expend for administrative expenses shall be limited 
to 1 percent of the aggregate amount of Federal funds 
made available to the State through the eligible programs 
included within the scope of such declaration of intent. 
(b) STATES NOT CONSOLIDATING FUNDS UNDER 
PART A OF TITLE I.—If the declaration of intent does 
not include within its scope part A of title I of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311 et seq.), the amount spent by the State on adminis-
trative expenses shall be limited to 3 percent of the aggre-
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gate amount of Federal funds made available to the State 
pursuant to such declaration of intent. 
SEC. 7. EQUITABLE PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS. 
Each State consolidating and using funds pursuant 
to a declaration of intent under this Act shall provide for 
the participation of private school children and teachers 
in the activities assisted under the declaration of intent 
in the same manner as participation is provided to private 
school children and teachers under section 8501 of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7881). 
Æ 
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