School Reopening and Spending Transparency Act

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 827 To authorize the Secretary of Education to establish and maintain a public website tracking the expenditures by States of COVID–19 education relief funds. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 18, 2021 Ms. ERNST (for herself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. TILLIS, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. CRAMER, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. LEE, Mr. HAGERTY, Ms. LUMMIS, and Mr. SASSE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Education to establish and maintain a public website tracking the expenditures by States of COVID–19 education relief funds. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘School Reopening and 4 Spending Transparency Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. TRACKING COVID–19 EDUCATION RELIEF FUNDS. 6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education shall 7 establish and maintain a public website tracking the ex- 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S827.IS S827 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 827 IS penditures by States of COVID–19 education relief funds 1 provided under the following: 2 (1) The Education Stabilization Fund under 3 title VIII of division B of the CARES Act (Public 4 Law 116–136). 5 (2) The Education Stabilization Fund under 6 title III of the Coronavirus Response and Relief 7 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 8 116–260). 9 (3) Part 1 of subtitle A of title II of the Amer- 10 ican Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117–2). 11 (b) UPDATE.—The Secretary of Education shall up- 12 date the data on the public website described under sub- 13 section (a) monthly. 14 (c) REPORT ON OPERATING STATUS.— 15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each State that receives 16 COVID–19 education relief funds under any of the 17 provisions described in paragraphs (1) through (3) 18 of subsection (a) shall submit a report to the Sec- 19 retary of Education on a monthly basis that includes 20 the operating status of each public elementary school 21 and secondary school in the State during the 2020– 22 2021 school year, including, for each such school, 23 the following: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S827.IS S827 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 827 IS (A) The number of school days the school 1 did not offer in-person instruction for any stu- 2 dents enrolled in the school. 3 (B) The number of days the school offered 4 hybrid learning. 5 (C) The number of days the school offered 6 full-day, in-person instruction for all students 7 enrolled in the school. 8 (2) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary of Education 9 shall publish the information submitted under para- 10 graph (1) on the public website described under sub- 11 section (a) and shall update the information month- 12 ly. 13 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S827.IS S827 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS