Transparency in Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination Act

Bill: 115-hr-3574
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5]
Introduced: 2017-07-28
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding

Elementary and secondary education

Government information and archives

Higher education

Religion

Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Latest action: action_date: 2017-07-28
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-07-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Transparency in Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination Act</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Department of Education Organization Act to require the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to publish, on its website, the names of institutions of higher education (IHEs) that request and IHEs that receive religious exemptions from title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. (Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities.) </p> <p>Additionally, the bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require an IHE that requests, receives, exercises, or intends to exercise a religious exemption from title IX to publish, on its website, certain information with respect to such exemption. </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3574 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 28, 2017 Ms. Clark of Massachusetts introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To amend the Department of Education Organization Act and the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require publication of information relating to religious exemptions to the requirements of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Transparency in Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination Act . 2. Publication on website of the Department of Education Section 203 of the Department of Education Organization Act ( 20 U.S.C. 3413 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (d) The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights shall publish, on the Department’s website, information regarding religious exemptions to the requirements of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ( 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) in accord with this paragraph. Such information shall include a list naming each institution of higher education that requests such an exemption, the name of each such institution that has received an exemption, and the nature and scope of that exemption (including each program or activity covered by the exemption and the personal characteristics or behaviors to which the exemption applies). . 3. Publication on website of each institution of higher education Section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1092 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (n) Disclosure of religious exemptions to title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Each institution of higher education participating in any program under this title that requests, receives, or exercises or intends to exercise a religious exemption to the requirements of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ( 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) shall publish on its website, in a prominent location, the following: (1) Request letter Each letter submitted by the educational institution to the Department to request such an exemption. (2) Exemption letter Each letter from the Department to the educational institution that grants or denies such an exemption. (3) Notice of request Notice that the educational institution has requested an exemption under section 901(a)(3) of the Education Amendments of 1972 ( 20 U.S.C. 1681(a)(3) ). (4) Notice of exemption If applicable, notice that the educational institution has received an exemption under section 901(a)(3) of the Education Amendments of 1972 ( 20 U.S.C. 1681(a)(3) ). (5) Covered personal characteristics or behaviors A list of the personal characteristics or behaviors to which each requested or granted exemption applies. (6) Covered activities or programs A list of the activities or programs to which each exemption applies. (7) Statement of rights The statement Students continue to have rights under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Any student who experiences discrimination may contact the Office for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Education at _____ or _____. , with the first blank space being filled with a link to the website of the Office for Civil Rights and the second blank space being filled with the telephone number of the Office for Civil Rights. .