,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bdef  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bj1 #bjac ,mr4
 ,bishop of ,utah 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,duncan of ,south ,carolina1 ,mr4       
,jones1 ,mr4 ,amodei1 ,mr4 ,lankford1   
,mr4 ,stutzman1 ,mr4 ,walden1 ,mr4      
,wilson of ,south ,carolina1 ,mr4       
,huizenga of ,michigan1 ,mr4 ,nunnelee1 
,mr4 ,chabot1 ,mr4 ,poe of ,texas1 ,mr4 
,issa1 ,mr4 ,sessions1 ,mr4 ,gosar1 ,mr4
 ,gardner1 ,mr4 ,pittenger1 ,mr4        
,labrador1 ,mr4 ,mc,henry1 ,mr4         
,kinzinger of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,ryan of  
,wisconsin1 and ,mr4 ,gingrey of        
,georgia7 introduced the following bill2
 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 improve the academic achievement of  
students4  #a4 ,short title2 table of   
contents2 purpose2 definitions  7a7     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 

the 8,academic ,partnerships ,lead ,us  
to ,success ,act0 or the ,a ,,plus ,act4
  7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of  
contents for this ,act is as follows3   
,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of        
contents2 purpose2 definitions4 ,sec4   
#b4 ,declaration of intent4 ,sec4 #c4   
,transparency for results of public     
education4 ,sec4 #d4 ,maintenance of    
funding levels spent by ,states on      
education4 ,sec4 #e4 ,administrative    
expenses4 ,sec4 #f4 ,equitable          
participation of private schools4  7c7  
,purpose ,the purposes of this ,act are 
as follows3  7#a7 ,to give ,states and  
local communities maximum flexibility to
 determine how to improve academic      
achievement and implement education     
reforms4  7#b7 ,to reduce the           
administrative costs and compliance     
burden of ,federal education programs in
 order to focus ,federal resources on   
improving academic achievement4  7#c7   
,to ensure that ,states and communities 
are accountable to the public for       

advancing the academic achievement of   
all students1 especially disadvantaged  
children4  7d7 ,definitions  7#a7 ,in   
general ,except as otherwise provided1  
the terms used in this ,act have the    
meanings given the terms in section     
#iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary 
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ghja et seq474  7#b7 ,other terms ,in  
this ,act3  7,a7 ,accountability ,the   
term accountability 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 regularly4     
7,b7 ,declaration of intent ,the term   
declaration of intent means a decision  
by a ,state1 as determined by ,state    
,authorizing ,officials or by           
referendum1 to assume full management   
responsibility for the expenditure of   
,federal funds for certain eligible     
programs for the purpose of advancing1  
on a more comprehensive and effective   
basis1 the educational policy of such   

,state4  7,c7 ,state ,the term ,state   
has the meaning given such term in      
section #aabb7;e7 of the ,elementary and
 ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife    
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fccb7;e774  7,d7 ,state 
authorizing officials ,the term ,state  
,authorizing ,officials means the ,state
 officials who shall authorize the      
submission of a declaration of intent1  
and any amendments thereto1 on behalf of
 the ,state4 ,such officials shall      
include not less than #b of the         
following3  7i7 ,the governor of the    
,state4  7ii7 ,the highest elected      
education official of the ,state1 if    
any4  7iii7 ,the legislature of the     
,state4  7,e7 ,state designated officer 
,the term ,state ,designated ,officer   
means the person designated by the      
,state ,authorizing ,officials to submit
 to the ,secretary1 on behalf of the    
,state1 a declaration of intent1 and any
 amendments thereto1 and to function as 
the point-of-contact for the ,state for 
the ,secretary and others relating to   

any responsibilities arising under this 
,act4  #b4 ,declaration of intent  7a7  
,in general ,each ,state is authorized  
to submit 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
 educational policy of the ,state4  7b7 
,programs eligible for consolidation and
 permissible use of funds  7#a7 ,scope  
,a ,state may choose to include within  
the scope of the ,state's declaration of
 intent any program for which ,congress 
makes funds available to the ,state if  
the program is for a purpose described  
in the ,elementary and ,education       
,secondary ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#fcja74 ,a ,state may not include any   
program funded pursuant to the          
,individuals with ,disabilities         
,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adjj et 
seq474  7#b7 ,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      
intent4  7c7 ,contents of declaration   
,each declaration of intent shall       
contain--  7#a7 a list of eligible      
programs that are subject to the        
declaration of intent2  7#b7 an         
assurance that the submission of the    
declaration of intent has been          
authorized by the ,state ,authorizing   
,officials1 specifying the identity of  
the ,state ,designated ,officer2  7#c7  
the duration of the declaration of      
intent2  7#d7 an assurance that the     
,state will use fiscal control and fund 
accounting procedures2  7#e7 an         
assurance that the ,state will meet the 
requirements of applicable ,federal     
civil rights laws in carrying out the   
declaration of intent and in            
consolidating and using the funds under 
the declaration of intent2  7#f7 an     
assurance that in implementing the      
declaration of intent the ,state will   

seek to advance educational             
opportunities for the disadvantaged2 and
  7#g7 a description of the plan for    
maintaining direct accountability to    
parents and other citizens of the       
,state4  7d7 ,duration ,the duration of 
the declaration of intent shall not     
exceed #e years4  7e7 ,review and       
recognition by the secretary  7#a7 ,in  
general ,the ,secretary shall review the
 declaration of intent received from the
 ,state ,designated ,officer not more   
than #fj days after the date of receipt 
of such declaration1 and shall recognize
 such declaration of intent unless the  
declaration of intent fails to meet the 
requirements under subsection 7c74  7#b7
 ,recognition by operation of law ,if   
the ,secretary fails to take action     
within the time specified in paragraph  
7#a71 the declaration of intent1 as     
submitted1 shall be deemed to be        
approved4  7f7 ,amendment to declaration
 of intent  7#a7 ,in general ,the ,state
 ,authorizing ,officials may direct the 

,state ,designated ,officer to submit   
amendments to a declaration of intent   
that is in effect4 ,such amendments     
shall be submitted to the ,secretary and
 considered by the ,secretary in        
accordance with subsection 7e74  7#b7   
,amendments authorized ,a declaration of
 intent that is in effect may be amended
 to--  7,a7 expand the scope of such    
declaration of intent to encompass      
additional eligible programs2  7,b7     
reduce the scope of such declaration of 
intent by excluding coverage of a       
,federal program included in the        
original declaration of intent2  7,c7   
modify the duration of such declaration 
of intent2 or  7,d7 such other          
modifications that the ,state           
,authorizing ,officials deem            
appropriate4  7#c7 ,effective date ,the 
amendment shall specify an effective    
date4 ,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 the  
declaration of intent by the proposed   
amendment4  7#d7 ,treatment of program  
funds withdrawn from declaration of     
intent ,beginning on the effective date 
of an amendment executed under paragraph
 7#b77;,b71 each program requirement of 
each program removed from the           
declaration of intent shall apply to the
 ,state's use of funds made available   
under the program4  #c4 ,transparency   
for results of public education  7a7 ,in
 general  7#a7 ,informing the public    
about ,assessment and ,proficiency ,each
 ,state operating under a declaration of
 intent under this ,act shall inform    
parents and the general public regarding
 the student achievement assessment     
system1 demonstrating student progress  
relative to the ,state's determination  
of student proficiency1 as described in 
paragraph 7#b71 for the purpose of      
accountability4  7#b7 ,assessment and   
,standards ,each ,state operating under 
a declaration of intent under this ,act 

shall establish and implement a single  
system of academic standards and        
academic assessments1 including the     
development of student proficiency      
goals4 ,such ,state may apply the       
academic assessments and standards      
described under section #aaaa of the    
,elementary and ,secondary ,education   
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaa7 or  
establish and implement different       
academic assessments and standards4  7b7
 ,accountability system ,the ,state     
shall determine and establish an        
accountability system to ensure         
accountability under this ,act4  7c7    
,report on student progress ,not later  
than #a year after the effective date of
 the declaration of intent1 and annually
 thereafter1 a ,state shall disseminate 
widely to parents and the general public
 a report that describes student        
progress4 ,the report shall include--   
7#a7 student performance data           
disaggregated in the same manner as data
 are disaggregated under section        

#aaaa7;b77#c77;,c77xiii7 of the         
,elementary and ,secondary ,education   
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4            
#fcaa7;b77#c77;,c77xiii772 and  7#b7 a  
description of how the ,state has used  
,federal funds to improve academic      
achievement1 reduce achievement         
disparities between various student     
groups1 and improve educational         
opportunities for the disadvantaged4    
#d4 ,maintenance of funding levels spent
 by ,states on education  7a7 ,in       
general ,for each ,state consolidating  
and using funds pursuant to a           
declaration of intent under this ,act1  
for each school year of the declaration 
of intent1 the aggregate amount of funds
 spent by the ,state on elementary and  
secondary education shall be not less   
than #ij percent of the aggregate amount
 of funds spent by the ,state on        
elementary and secondary education for  
the school year that coincides with the 
date of enactment of this ,act4  7b7    
,exception  7#a7 ,state waiver claim    

,the requirement of subsection 7a7 may  
be waived by the ,state ,authorizing    
,officials if the ,state having a       
declaration of intent in effect makes a 
determination1 supported by specific    
findings1 that uncontrollable or        
exceptional circumstances1 such as a    
natural disaster or extreme contraction 
of economic activity1 preclude          
compliance for a specified period1 which
 may be extended4 ,such determination   
shall be presented to the ,secretary by 
the ,state ,designated ,officer4  7#b7  
,action by the ,secretary ,the          
,secretary shall accept the ,state's    
waiver1 as described in paragraph 7#a71 
if the ,state has presented evidence to 
support such waiver4 ,the ,secretary    
shall review the waiver received from   
the ,state ,designated ,officer not more
 than #fj days after the date of        
receipt4 ,if the ,secretary fails to    
take action within that time frame1 the 
waiver1 as submitted1 shall be deemed to
 be approved4  #e4 ,administrative      

expenses  7a7 ,in general ,except as    
provided in subsection 7b71 the amount  
that a ,state with a declaration of     
intent may expend for administrative    
expenses shall be limited to #a 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 
intent4  7b7 ,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 ,elementary and ,secondary          
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#fcaa et seq471 the amount spent by the 
,state on administrative expenses shall 
be limited to #c percent of the         
aggregate amount of ,federal funds made 
available to the ,state pursuant to such
 declaration of intent4  #f4 ,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 #ieja of the ,elementary 
and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghha74