PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 25, 2025
Stop Sexual Harassment in K-12 Act
This bill outlines the role and duties of Title IX coordinators in elementary and secondary schools, including by requiring local educational agencies to increase the number of full-time employees designated to serve as a Title IX coordinator per specified student population. The bill also creates a grant program to train teachers and staff on how to respond to signs of sex-based harassment and assault of students and requires the Department of Education to develop a sex-based harassment survey.
People & committees
Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] · D–IL
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 19, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-25 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Stop Sexual Harassment in K–12 Act would require local school agencies receiving federal assistance to add employees responsible for Title IX compliance concerning sex discrimination in education. It would require harassment-prevention training and annual anonymous harassment surveys of students and staff. It would also authorize federal grants to help agencies meet coordinator requirements and train teachers and other school staff.
This Act may be cited as the Stop Sexual Harassment in K–12 Act.
For each local educational agency that receives Federal financial assistance, the following requirements shall apply: (1) The recipient shall increase the number of full-time employees designated to serve as a Title IX Coordinator
Each Title IX Coordinator for a local educational agency shall ensure the local educational agency’s compliance under Federal policies against discrimination on the basis of sex, including title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Overseeing age-appropriate, accessible, and trauma-informed annual sex-based harassment prevention education and training for students, employees, volunteers, contractors, and other government employees who work in or with the local educational agency.
for grants to local educational agencies to offset the financial burden of satisfying the requirements of this section.
shall develop an empirically validated sex-based harassment survey to be conducted on an anonymous basis of elementary school and secondary school students and staff.
Beginning not later than 2 years after the date on which the Secretary of Education makes available to local educational agencies the mechanism described in paragraph (2), and every year thereafter, each local educational agency that receives Federal financial assistance shall administer the survey
The Secretary is authorized to make grants to local educational agencies to train elementary school and secondary school teachers and other school staff on how to prevent, recognize, and respond to signs of sex-based harassment and assault among students or between students and adults.
One year after enactment, federally assisted local school agencies would have to increase their full-time Title IX coordinator staff by at least one per 75,000 students in seventh grade or above and one per 150,000 students in sixth grade or below.
For each local educational agency that receives Federal financial assistance, the following requirements shall apply: (1) The recipient shall increase the number of full-time employees designated to serve as a Title IX Coordinator by at least one per— (A) 75,000 students in 7th grade or above served by the recipient; and (B) 150,000 students in 6th grade or below served by the recipient.
This section shall take effect 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Agencies would have to tell students, parents, guardians, and staff who the coordinators are, what they do, and when they are available. Coordinators could not also hold school responsibilities that may create conflicts of interest, including school or agency leadership positions.
The recipient shall ensure that students, parents and guardians of students, and staff are made aware of these employees, their role, and the times at which they are available to meet.
A Title IX Coordinator shall not have any other school-related responsibilities that may create a conflict of interest, including serving in the school administrative leadership or local educational agency administrative leadership (such as serving as a principal, vice principal, headmaster, superintendent, board member, general counsel, or athletics director).
The proposal would designate coordinators and other school staff—including teachers, bus drivers, coaches, and principals—as appropriate people to receive disclosures of sex discrimination for purposes of Title IX legal standards.
A Title IX Coordinator, along with a principal, campus security, bus driver, teacher, counselor or social worker, equity officer, coach, or any other staff member, shall be considered an appropriate person to whom to disclose discrimination on the basis of sex for purposes of the legal standards under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.).
Coordinators would have to provide accessible information about sex-discrimination rights and ensure agency and employee compliance, including training. Nondiscrimination notices, relevant policies, complaint procedures, and coordinator contact details would have to be shared broadly in accessible, age-appropriate ways, including prominently on school websites and in handbooks.
Providing information and outreach so that every individual receives sufficient and accessible information designed to make them aware of their rights under Federal, State, and local laws and policies against discrimination on the basis of sex, including title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated to carry out such title, and that the local educational agency and its employees comply with those laws and policies, including receiving training on the laws and policies.
Ensuring that notices of nondiscrimination, relevant policies and grievance procedures, and current contact information of all Title IX Coordinators are disseminated broadly and in an age-appropriate manner accessible to all students, parents, guardians, and employees and applicants for admission or employment, including prominently on school websites and in school handbooks.
Coordinators would monitor discrimination, harassment, violence, and stalking complaints, the support offered to people making complaints, disability accommodations for both sides, and complaint outcomes.
Monitoring complaints alleging discrimination based on sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics (including intersex traits), pregnancy or related conditions, a medical condition related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, pregnancy or related conditions, and a sex stereotype), domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sexual violence, stalking, and sex-based harassment, including supportive measures offered to complainants, reasonable accommodations for complainants and respondents with disabilities, and the outcomes of complaints.
Coordinators would identify patterns of sex discrimination and address their effects on the school community. They would also address barriers to reporting and use school climate surveys to identify and respond proactively to discrimination.
Identifying patterns of discrimination on the basis of sex from complaints and addressing its impact on the school community.
Monitoring the education program or activity for barriers to reporting information about conduct that may constitute discrimination on the basis of sex and taking steps reasonably calculated to address such barriers.
Coordinating dissemination, collection, and analysis of climate surveys, including the survey described in section 4, and identifying and proactively addressing discrimination on the basis of sex in the local educational agency based on the results of climate surveys.
Coordinators would oversee annual harassment-prevention education and training for students and people working in or with the agency. Training would have to be age-appropriate, accessible, sensitive to trauma, inclusive of diverse communities and identities, informed by research, and conducted with specified crisis-response or community organizations.
Overseeing age-appropriate, accessible, and trauma-informed annual sex-based harassment prevention education and training for students, employees, volunteers, contractors, and other government employees who work in or with the local educational agency.
Ensuring that prevention education and training is inclusive of diverse communities and identities, informed by research, and conducted in partnership with local rape crisis centers, State sexual assault coalitions or domestic violence coalitions, or community organizations that work on addressing discrimination on the basis of sex, including sex-based harassment in schools.
A federally assisted local school agency could request a waiver from one or more coordinator-section requirements if a requirement posed an insurmountable financial burden and it had been unable to secure sufficient grants under that section. Approval would not be automatic. The waiver process would require an alternative plan for informing students about their rights and providing coordinator access, including a written partnership with a qualifying crisis-support organization. The partnership agreement would have to define responsibilities, including prevention training and support when addressing harassment reports.
A local educational agency that receives Federal financial assistance may request a waiver from the Secretary of one or more of the requirements under thus section on the basis that the requirement poses an insurmountable financial burden to the recipient and the recipient has been unable to secure sufficient grants under subsection (d).
The waiver process shall include requiring the recipient to submit an alternative plan for ensuring students are aware of their rights under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and have access to a Title IX Coordinator. At the very minimum within their alternative plan, the recipient shall establish a partnership, through a memorandum of understanding, with a local rape crisis center or a national or community-based organization that specializes in trauma or crisis management and support.
The memorandum of understanding shall establish a clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of the partners, which shall also include providing prevention training and supporting measures when addressing reports about incidents of sex-based harassment.
An approved waiver would last two years. If the Education Secretary found that an agency failed to follow its alternative plan, or that the plan was insufficient to prevent and respond to sex-based harassment and assault, the Secretary would first seek a voluntary resolution. If that was not possible within a reasonable time, the Secretary would take such action as may be appropriate to withhold federal assistance.
If the Secretary determines (based on a submitted complaint or otherwise) that a recipient has such a waiver approved but has not followed their alternative plan, or if the Secretary determines that their plan was insufficient to prevent and respond to sex-based harassment and assault, the Secretary shall attempt a voluntary resolution. If a voluntary resolution is not possible during a reasonable period of time, the Secretary shall take such action as may be appropriate to withhold Federal financial assistance. A waiver granted under this subsection shall be valid for 2 years.
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
The bill would authorize future funding, without setting a dollar amount, for grants to offset coordinator-section compliance costs. Authorization would cover the first five fiscal years beginning after that section's effective date, with priority for agencies otherwise facing a high financial burden. This would authorize appropriations rather than itself supply the money.
To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the first five fiscal years that begin after the effective date in subsection (e) for grants to local educational agencies to offset the financial burden of satisfying the requirements of this section. In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to local educational agencies that otherwise would face a high financial burden in fulfilling such requirements.
A separate grant program would support training teachers and other school staff to prevent, recognize, and respond to signs of sex-based harassment and assault among students or between students and adults. Applicants would need a training plan and an explanation of how funds would meet training needs. Awards would be due within six months after the application deadline set by the Secretary.
The Secretary is authorized to make grants to local educational agencies to train elementary school and secondary school teachers and other school staff on how to prevent, recognize, and respond to signs of sex-based harassment and assault among students or between students and adults.
Any local educational agency desiring to receive a grant under this section for any fiscal year shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. Each such application shall— (A) include a plan to provide the training described in subsection (a); and (B) demonstrate how the grant funds will be used to meet the needs for such training.
The Secretary shall award grants under this section not later than 6 months after the deadline for grant application submission established under paragraph (1).
Training grants would, where practicable, be distributed equitably across geographic areas, including rural and urban areas, with priority for agencies serving underserved areas. The Secretary would consider application quality and prioritize applications showing no other government funding for these activities or including student support statements. Grants would have to add to, rather than replace, other federal or state funding.
To the extent practicable, in awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall— (1) ensure an equitable geographic distribution of grants under this section, including the distribution of such grants between rural and urban areas; and (2) give priority to local educational agencies that have jurisdiction over an underserved area or areas.
In allocating funds to local educational agencies under this section, the Secretary shall consider the quality of the applications submitted, but the Secretary shall give priority to local educational agencies whose applications include any of the following: (1) A demonstration that the applicant does not receive other Federal, State, or local funds to carry out the activities described in this section. (2) Statements of support from students or student groups.
Grant funds provided under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other Federal or State funds available to carry out the activities described in this section.
The bill would authorize $50 million for the training-grant program in each of the first five fiscal years beginning after enactment. It would authorize future appropriations, rather than directly provide that funding.
To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Education $50,000,000 for each of the first five fiscal years that begin after the date of the enactment of this Act.
The Education Secretary, consulting the Attorney General and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, would develop an anonymous harassment survey tested for validity. It would ask about the preceding calendar year for which data are available, including off-campus and online harassment by students or staff. Questions would differ for staff, students, and different age groups.
The Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall develop an empirically validated sex-based harassment survey to be conducted on an anonymous basis of elementary school and secondary school students and staff. The survey shall assess, for the preceding calendar year for which data is available, instances of sex-based harassment carried out by students or staff, including instances of sex-based harassment that occur off school property and that involve online conduct. The Secretary shall ensure that the survey questions vary between staff and students and for different age groups in order to ensure that the questions are developmentally appropriate.
Federal officials would develop a way for agencies to administer the survey and add local questions or requirements. Federally assisted agencies would have to begin administering it within two years after that mechanism became available and repeat it annually. Administration would have to be accessible to people with disabilities.
The Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall develop a mechanism by which local educational agencies may, with respect to the survey developed pursuant to this section— (A) administer such survey; and (B) modify such survey to include additional elements or requirements, as determined by the agency.
Beginning not later than 2 years after the date on which the Secretary of Education makes available to local educational agencies the mechanism described in paragraph (2), and every year thereafter, each local educational agency that receives Federal financial assistance shall administer the survey developed pursuant to this section to elementary school and secondary school students and staff.
Local educational agencies shall ensure that the survey is administered in such a way as to be readily accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities.
The survey would have to be fair, unbiased, reliable, sensitive to trauma, and meet the highest survey-research standards. Participants would receive age-appropriate notice that anonymized results could be published. Responses would be collected by people without daily or close contact with students, and responses included in reports could not contain personally identifiable information.
shall be fair and unbiased, be reliable, be trauma-informed, meet the highest standards of survey research, and notify the participant using age-appropriate language that anonymized results of the survey may be published
shall ensure that the responses to the survey questions— (A) are collected by individuals who are not in daily or close contact with the students; and (B) in a case in which such responses are included in a report, do not include personally identifiable information.
Students could choose whether to report demographic information, and parents or guardians could opt their student out of the survey. Agencies would still have to ensure, as far as practicable, that an adequate random and representative student sample completed it, using a sample size determined by the Secretary.
The survey shall give— (1) students the option to report their demographic information; and (2) parents and guardians of students the option to opt their student out of the survey.
The Secretary of Education shall require each local educational agency that administers the survey tool developed pursuant to this section to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that an adequate, random, and representative sample size of students (as determined by the Secretary) enrolled at elementary schools and secondary schools under the jurisdiction of the agency complete the survey tool developed pursuant to this section.
Subject to the survey's age and participant requirements, questions would examine harassment experiences, including whether they occurred in person or electronically, whether prevention programs work for different student populations, awareness of school procedures and resources, and reported effects on education. Questions would use trauma-informed language intended to prevent re-traumatization. These would be subjects for investigation, not findings that the bill establishes.
Survey questions included in the survey tool developed pursuant to this section— (1) shall be designed to gather information on student experiences with sex-based harassment; (2) shall use trauma-informed language to prevent re-traumatization; and (3) subject to subsection (a), shall address—
whether the instances of sex-based harassment described were experienced in-person or through electronic means
the effectiveness of school sexual violence awareness and prevention programs and policies for the overall student body and different student populations, such as students of color, students in the LGBTQ communities, immigrant students, pregnant and parenting students, and students with disabilities
students’ awareness of school policies and procedures, including the location and process for accessing school resources, such as a Title IX Coordinator designated by the school
whether individuals impacted by sex-based harassment have experienced negative effects on their education, including diminished grades, dropped classes, or leaves of absence
Survey questions would also examine who allegedly committed the conduct, whether and to whom it was reported, the school's response including information about or referral to resources, investigations and their duration and outcomes, and any retaliation after reporting.
whether the alleged discrimination on the basis of sex or sex-based harassment was allegedly committed by a student, school employee, or volunteer and other contextual factors
whether individuals impacted by sex-based harassment reported or did not report the incident to the school
if such an individual did so report to the school, to whom they reported, and what response the survivor received to include being informed of, or referred to, national, State, local, tribal, or resources
if such an individual reported to the school— (i) did the school conduct an investigation; (ii) if an investigation was conducted, how long did the investigation take; and (iii) if an investigation was conducted, what was the final resolution of the investigation
if such an individual did so report, whether they experienced retaliation following the reporting
The survey would extend to bystander attitudes, perceptions of school safety, and confidence in school responses involving several forms of discrimination, including race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. It could address other related issues as appropriate.
attitudes toward sexual violence and harassment, including individuals’ willingness to intervene as a bystander of sex-based, race-based, national-origin-based, sexual-orientation-based, gender-identity-based, and disability-based discrimination, harassment, assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking
perception of school safety and confidence in the school’s ability to appropriately address sex-based, race-based, national-origin-based, sexual-orientation-based, gender-identity-based, and disability-based discrimination, harassment, assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking
any other issues relating to sex-based, race-based, national-origin-based, sexual-orientation-based, gender-identity-based, and disability-based discrimination, harassment, assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, as appropriate.
Federal officials would begin compiling survey statistics six months after the first results became available, then update, conduct, and compile survey results every two years. Statistics should be broken down by local agency, but an alternative grouping would be required where the agency's size would cause agency-level results to reveal personally identifiable information about a student. Statistics would have to be published on an accessible Education Department website.
Beginning 6 months after the results of the first survey developed pursuant to this section are available, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall compile statistics based upon their analysis of the results of such survey. Such officials shall update, conduct, and compile the results of, the survey every 2 years thereafter.
The compiled statistics should be disaggregated by local educational agency, except that such disaggregation shall not be required in the case of a local educational agency of a size such that the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student, in which case, an alternate basis for disaggregation shall be selected.
The statistics compiled under subsection (c) shall be made publicly available on the website of the Department of Education and readily accessible to and usable by individuals, including individuals with disabilities.
Within five years after enactment, the Education Secretary would have to begin annual reports on the survey's standardized elements. Reports would go to Congress and be published accessibly on the department's website, including in department-supported online consumer tools that give students information about particular educational institutions.
Beginning not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education— (1) shall prepare an annual report on the information gained from the standardized elements of the survey under this section and publish such report in an accessible format on the website of the Department of Education, including as part of any online consumer tool offered or supported by the Department of Education that provides information to students regarding specific educational institutions; and (2) shall submit such report to the Congress.
The survey section would authorize $10 million in future appropriations for each of the first five fiscal years beginning after enactment. That five-year funding authorization would not itself end the separate requirement for annual local surveys.
There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out this section for each of the first five fiscal years that begin after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Beginning not later than 2 years after the date on which the Secretary of Education makes available to local educational agencies the mechanism described in paragraph (2), and every year thereafter, each local educational agency that receives Federal financial assistance shall administer the survey developed pursuant to this section to elementary school and secondary school students and staff.
The bill would preserve discrimination and retaliation victims' rights, remedies, procedures, and legal standards under other federal, state, and local laws. Its requirements would add to existing legal obligations.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to preempt, invalidate, or limit rights, remedies, procedures, or legal standards available to victims of discrimination or retaliation under any other Federal law or law of a State or political subdivision of a State
The obligations imposed by this Act are in addition to those imposed by those Acts.
The bill would express Congress's view that confidential reporting of sex-based harassment and abuse is valuable and that schools should try to provide it where possible under state and local law. This is a statement of congressional opinion, rather than a requirement to establish confidential reporting.
It is the sense of the Congress that it is valuable for students to have access to confidential reporting of sex-based harassment and abuse, and schools should attempt to provide that to the extent possible in accordance with State and local laws.
For this bill, sex discrimination would include discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Pregnancy-related conditions would expressly include childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, miscarriage, fertility care, contraceptive care, and related medical care and recovery.
The term discrimination on the basis of sex includes discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The term pregnancy or related conditions includes pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, miscarriage, fertility care, contraceptive care, and related medical care and conditions, including recovery from such conditions.
The bill's definition of sex-based harassment would include sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and unwelcome sexual conduct, including indirect, nonverbal, or electronic conduct. It would also cover sex-based conduct that negatively alters a person's ability to participate in or receive benefits from an assisted education program. A separate part would cover an employee, agent, or other person authorized by the recipient to provide educational aid, benefits, services, or opportunities explicitly or implicitly conditioning their provision on participation in sexual conduct, regardless of whether the person submits to or rejects that conduct.
The term sex-based harassment includes the following: (A) Sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. (B) Unwelcome conduct, including indirect or nonverbal conduct, of a sexual nature, including conduct undertaken in whole or in part through the use of electronic messaging services, commercial mobile services, electronic communications, or other technology.
Other conduct on the basis of sex that is one of the following: (i) Conduct that negatively alters a person’s ability to participate in or receive any aid, benefit, service, or opportunity from an education program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance, including by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
Conduct carried out by an employee, agent, or other person authorized by the recipient to provide any aid, benefit, service, or opportunity under the recipient’s education program or activity that involves such employee, agent, or other person explicitly or impliedly conditioning the provision of such an aid, benefit, service, or opportunity on a person’s participation in sexual conduct, regardless of whether the person submits to or rejects such conduct.
Sexual assault would be defined by sex-offense classifications in the FBI's crime-reporting system. Stalking would mean a course of conduct directed at a particular person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for that person's safety or the safety of others, or suffer substantial emotional distress. Dating violence and domestic violence would use definitions from the Violence Against Women Act.
The term sexual assault means an offense classified as a forcible or nonforcible sex offense under the uniform crime reporting system of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The term stalking means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to— (A) fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or (B) suffer substantial emotional distress.
The term dating violence has the meaning given the term in section 40002(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)).
The term domestic violence has the meaning given the term in section 40002(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)).
The bill would include public and private preschools within its definition of elementary school and vocational institutions serving secondary students within its definition of secondary school. It otherwise incorporates school and local educational agency definitions from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Its vocational-education definition covers institutions primarily preparing students for technical, skilled, or semiskilled work or technical study, regardless of credentials offered or full-time enrollment, but excludes institutions of professional, graduate, or undergraduate higher education.
The term elementary school means— (A) an elementary school as defined by section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801); and (B) a public or private preschool.
The term secondary school means— (A) a secondary school as defined by section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801); and (B) an institution of vocational education that serves secondary school students.
The term local educational agency has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (8 U.S.C. 7801).
The term institution of vocational education means a school or institution (except an institution of professional or graduate or undergraduate higher education) which has as its primary purpose preparation of students to pursue a technical, skilled, or semiskilled occupation or trade, or to pursue study in a technical field, whether or not the school or institution offers certificates, diplomas, or degrees and whether or not it offers full-time study.
Federal assistance would include more than grants: the definition covers loans, certain property assistance, federal personnel services, discounted or free use of federal property, and other education-assistance arrangements under laws administered by the Education Secretary. Insurance and guaranty contracts would be excluded from the last category.
The term Federal financial assistance means any of the following, when authorized or extended under a law administered by the Secretary: (A) A grant or loan of Federal financial assistance
A grant of Federal real or personal property or any interest therein, including surplus property, and the proceeds of the sale or transfer of such property, if the Federal share of the fair market value of the property is not, upon such sale or transfer, properly accounted for to the Federal Government.
Provision of the services of Federal personnel.
Sale or lease of Federal property or any interest therein at nominal consideration, or at consideration reduced for the purpose of assisting the recipient or in recognition of public interest to be served thereby, or permission to use Federal property or any interest therein without consideration.
Any other contract, agreement, or arrangement which has as one of its purposes the provision of assistance to any education program or activity, except a contract of insurance or guaranty.
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
The bill would define recipients to include public and private entities or people receiving federal assistance directly or through another recipient and operating an assisted education program. This definition would also include their subunits, successors, assignees, and transferees.
The term recipient means any State or political subdivision thereof, or any instrumentality of a State or political subdivision thereof, any public or private agency, institution, or organization, or other entity, or any person, to whom Federal financial assistance is extended directly or through another recipient and which operates an education program or activity which receives such assistance, including any subunit, successor, assignee, or transferee thereof.
A Title IX coordinator would be an employee designated or authorized to coordinate compliance, or one or more designees assigned some compliance responsibilities. When responsibilities are delegated, one coordinator would have to retain ultimate oversight.
The term Title IX Coordinator means— (A) the employee of a recipient designated or authorized to coordinate the recipient’s efforts to comply with its responsibilities under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated to carry out such title; or (B) one or more designees selected to carry out some of the recipient’s responsibilities for compliance with title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), and the regulations promulgated to carry out such title, under the condition that one Title IX Coordinator must retain ultimate oversight over those responsibilities.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated September 19, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on February 25, 2025. It supplies no later legislative action.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-19T23:16:41Z. 2025-02-25: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. 2025-02-25: Introduced in House 2025-02-25: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-25. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
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None identified in the reviewed text
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Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
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Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The complete supplied introduced text contains a conditional exemption from core requirements that warrants scrutiny as a targeted benefit. Classification does not establish that the exemption is unjustified and is limited to this text version.
Section 2(c) would let federally assisted local educational agencies request relief from one or more coordinator-section requirements when a requirement poses an insurmountable financial burden and they have been unable to obtain sufficient grants under section 2(d). This is a conditional exemption from the bill's main coordinator policy, not an automatic waiver. The process would require an alternative plan ensuring students know their Title IX rights and can access a coordinator, including a written partnership with a qualifying crisis-support organization. An approved waiver would last two years. Failure to follow the plan, or a finding that it was insufficient to prevent and respond to sex-based harassment and assault, would trigger efforts toward voluntary resolution and, if that proved impossible within a reasonable time, appropriate action to withhold federal assistance.
A local educational agency that receives Federal financial assistance may request a waiver from the Secretary of one or more of the requirements under thus section on the basis that the requirement poses an insurmountable financial burden to the recipient and the recipient has been unable to secure sufficient grants under subsection (d).
The waiver process shall include requiring the recipient to submit an alternative plan for ensuring students are aware of their rights under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and have access to a Title IX Coordinator. At the very minimum within their alternative plan, the recipient shall establish a partnership, through a memorandum of understanding, with a local rape crisis center or a national or community-based organization that specializes in trauma or crisis management and support.
If the Secretary determines (based on a submitted complaint or otherwise) that a recipient has such a waiver approved but has not followed their alternative plan, or if the Secretary determines that their plan was insufficient to prevent and respond to sex-based harassment and assault, the Secretary shall attempt a voluntary resolution. If a voluntary resolution is not possible during a reasonable period of time, the Secretary shall take such action as may be appropriate to withhold Federal financial assistance. A waiver granted under this subsection shall be valid for 2 years.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 19, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI