SENSE Act
Bill: H.R.6808 | Sponsor: Rep. Gallagher, Mike (R-WI)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Spending Every Nickel on Student Education Act or the SENSE Act
This bill requires each local educational agency (LEA) that received certain federal COVID-19 relief funds to submit an annual report on the expenditure of such funds during the preceding year. An LEA that does not submit a report shall not be eligible to receive specified federal education funds for the next year.

To improve transparency relating to the expenditure of Federal 
 emergency relief funds for elementary and secondary schools, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Spending Every Nickel on Student 
Education Act'' or the ``SENSE Act''.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON EXPENDITURE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
              EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS.

    (a) LEA Reports.--On an annual basis, in accordance with subsection 
(d), each local education agency that received funds under section 2001 
of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 20 U.S.C. 
3401 note) shall submit to the State in which the agency is located a 
report on the expenditure of such funds during the preceding year. Each 
report shall--
            (1) describe the purposes for which the local educational 
        agency expended such funds during the year covered by the 
        report;
            (2) indicate whether such expenditures are consistent with 
        the plan submitted by the agency pursuant to the interim final 
        requirement of the Department of Education titled ``American 
        Rescue Plan Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency 
        Relief Fund, LEA ARP ESSER Plans'' (86 Fed. Reg. 21198; April 
        22, 2021) and, if such expenditures are not consistent with 
        that plan, provide an explanation for the inconsistency; and
            (3) provide the information required under paragraphs (1) 
        and (2) in a format and level of detail that is consistent with 
        the State and Federal requirements applicable to the plans 
        described in paragraph (2).
    (b) State Reports.--On an annual basis, not later than 90 days 
after receiving the reports from local educational agencies under 
subsection (a), each State shall--
            (1) compile the reports;
            (2) transmit the compiled reports to the Secretary of 
        Education; and
            (3) make the reports available on a publicly accessible 
        website of the State in a format that is downloadable, 
        searchable, and sortable.
    (c) Posting by Secretary.--The Secretary of Education shall make 
each report received from a State under subsection (b) available on a 
publicly accessible website of the Department of Education.
    (d) Annual Submittal and Termination.--
            (1) Annual submittal date.--The reports required under 
        subsection (a) shall be submitted each year on a date 
        determined by the Secretary of Education that is at least 30 
        days before funds are allocated to States under part A of title 
        I of the Elementary and Secondary and Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
        6311 et seq.) for the next school year.
            (2) Termination of reporting requirement.--
                    (A) Final report.--After the date specified in 
                subparagraph (B), a local educational agency shall 
                submit a final report in accordance with subsection 
                (a). Following the submission of such final report, the 
                requirement of a local educational agency to submit 
                further reports under subsection (a) shall terminate.
                    (B) Date described.--The date specified in this 
                subparagraph is the earlier of--
                            (i) the date on which the local educational 
                        agency has obligated all funds received by the 
                        agency under section 2001 of the American 
                        Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 20 
                        U.S.C. 3401 note); or
                            (ii) the date by which the local 
                        educational agency is required to obligate such 
                        funds in accordance with such section.
    (e) Enforcement.--A local educational agency that does not submit a 
report required under subsection (a) by the date determined by the 
Secretary under subsection (d)(1), shall not be eligible to receive 
Federal funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) for the next year for 
which such funds are allocated.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``local educational 
agency'' and ``State'' have the meanings given those terms in section 
8101 if the Elementary ad Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801).
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