This past July, Kirk Strang presented his School Law Update at the WASDA Summer Legal Seminar.
If you were unable to attend the presentation, or are looking for a refresher on the content, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve been rolling out the information Kirk presented here on our blog, covering all six of the following topics …
- New Wisconsin Laws Enacted & Proposed
- New Federal Laws Proposed
- Developments in Federal Constitutional Law
- Open Meetings & Public Records Laws
- Wisconsin Decisions
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools
In Part 1 we covered new Wisconsin laws enacted & proposed. Part 2 dives into new federal laws proposed.
Let’s get started …
PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION
- H.R. 3872.
This proposed bill would require the Secretary of Education, in conjunction with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to conduct a study on the mental health effects resulting from a lockdown drill or active shooter drill in elementary and secondary schools. - H.R. 3521.
This proposed bill would require the Secretary of Education to develop and disseminate an evidence-based curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12 on the dangers of vaping and misusing opioids, synthetic drugs, and related substances. - H.R. 2425.
This proposed bill would require the Secretary of Education to institute a grant program, which would provide grants to states to carry out full-day kindergarten programs. States that receive these grants must distribute no less than 98 percent of the allotment to local educational agencies. - H.R. 1741.
This proposed bill would reduce the frequency of standardized testing in mathematics, reading or language arts, and science. Standardized testing would be administered not more than once annually in grades 3 through 8 and at least once in grades 9 through 12. - H.R. 1585.
This proposed bill would require a state to implement a policy that prohibits a school employee from conducting gender transition interventions. These interventions include undertaking the following actions without the consent of a custodial parent or legal guardian:- Using pronouns inconsistent with a minor student’s biological sex for the purpose of recognizing or promoting a transgender identity.
- Providing, promoting, referring to, or assisting in the use of devices that promote changes in a minor student’s appearance to align with the opposite biological sex.
- Carrying out any other action to assist a minor student in adopting a transgender identity.
This bill would apply to any state receiving federal funds pursuant to title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
- H.R. 1415.
This proposed bill would instruct the Secretary of Education to award grants to high-need local educational agencies to assist schools in retaining school social workers already employed, and to hire additional school social workers. - H.R. 736.
This proposed bill would require elementary and middle schools receiving federal funds to obtain parental consent before:- Changing a minor child's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form; or
- Allowing a child to change the child's sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.
- H.R. 766.
This proposed bill would require states receiving federal assistance to ensure that teachers are paid a minimum annual salary of $60,000 for the fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
In Part 3 of our series, we’ll shift our school law update to Developments in Federal Constitutional Law.