Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act

Bill: 118-s-4822
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2024-07-29
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding

Elementary and secondary education

School administration

State and local government operations

Teaching, teachers, curricula
Latest action: action_date: 2024-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-07-29
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires each local educational agency (LEA), as a condition of receiving federal elementary and secondary education funds, to ensure that each elementary and secondary school served by the LEA notifies parents of their rights to request and receive information regarding foreign influence (e.g., influence by China) in schools.</p><p>These rights include the right to</p><ul><li>review (and make copies of at no cost) any curricular or professional development material used at the school that was obtained using funds received from a foreign government or a foreign entity of concern;</li><li>know, by written response, how many school personnel are compensated using funds received from a foreign government or a foreign entity of concern; and</li><li>know, by written response, information about funding from or agreements (e.g., contracts) with a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern.</li></ul><p>Parents must submit a written request for this information.</p><p>Each school must post on a publicly accessible website (or otherwise widely disseminate to the public) a summary notice of parental rights under the bill.&nbsp;</p><p>The bill requires the Department of Education to notify state educational agencies (SEAs) about the bill's requirements. Each SEA must, as a condition of receiving federal elementary and secondary education funds, notify&nbsp;LEAs about the bill's requirements.</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4822 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 29, 2024 Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To ensure that parents are aware of foreign influence in their child’s public school, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act . 2. Parents’ right to know about foreign influence (a) In general Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 8549D. Parents’ right to know about foreign influence (a) In general As a condition of receiving funds under this Act, a local educational agency shall ensure that each elementary school and each secondary school served by such agency provides to each parent of a child attending the school, at a minimum— (1) the right (in a manner consistent with copyright law) to review, and make copies of free of cost, at least every four weeks and not later than 30 days after submission of a written request by the parent, any curricular material or professional development material used at the school that was purchased, or otherwise obtained, using funds received from the government of a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern; (2) the right to know, by written response provided not later than 30 days after submission of a written request by the parent, how many personnel of the school are compensated, in whole or in part, using funds received from the government of a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern; and (3) the right to know, by written response provided not later than 30 days after submission of a written request by the parent, of— (A) any donation received by the school or local educational agency from a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern; (B) any agreement in writing (such as a contract or memorandum of understanding) between the school or local educational agency and a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern; and (C) any financial transaction between the school or local educational agency and a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern. (b) Donations, agreements, and financial transactions The information described in subsection (a)(3) shall include, at minimum, the following: (1) The name of the foreign country or foreign entity of concern. (2) In any case in which funds were received by the school or local educational agency from a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern— (A) the amount of such funds; and (B) any terms or conditions applicable to the receipt of such funds. (c) Notice of rights At the beginning of each school year, a local educational agency receiving funds under this Act shall ensure that each elementary school and each secondary school served by such agency posts on a publicly accessible website of the school or, if the school does not operate a website, widely disseminates to the public, a summary notice of the rights of parents described in subsections (a) and (b). (d) Notification of requirements At the beginning of each school year, the Secretary shall notify State educational agencies about the requirements of this section. As a condition of receiving funds under this Act, State educational agencies shall, at the beginning of each school year, notify local educational agencies of the requirements of this section. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) The term foreign country means a foreign country or a dependent territory or possession of a foreign country. Such term does not include any of the outlying areas. (2) The term foreign entity of concern has the meaning given such term in section 10612(a) of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 19221(a) ). . (b) Table of contents The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8549C the following: Sec. 8549D. Parents’ right to know about foreign influence. .