§ 7861. Waivers of statutory and regulatory requirements
(a)
In general
Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, the Secretary may waive any statutory or regulatory requirement of this chapter for a State educational agency, local educational agency, Indian tribe, or school through a local educational agency, that—
(b)
Request for waiver
(1)
In general
A State educational agency, local educational agency, or Indian tribe that desires a waiver shall submit a waiver request to the Secretary that—
(B)
describes which Federal statutory or regulatory requirements are to be waived and how the waiving of those requirements will—
(C)
describes, for each school year, specific, measurable educational goals, in accordance with section
6311
(b) of this title, for the State educational agency and for each local educational agency, Indian tribe, or school that would be affected by the waiver and the methods to be used to measure annually such progress for meeting such goals and outcomes;
(2)
Additional information
Such requests—
(A)
may provide for waivers of requirements applicable to State educational agencies, local educational agencies, Indian tribes, and schools; and
(3)
General requirements
(A)
State educational agencies
In the case of a waiver request submitted by a State educational agency acting on its own behalf, the State educational agency shall—
(c)
Restrictions
The Secretary shall not waive under this section any statutory or regulatory requirements relating to—
(1)
the allocation or distribution of funds to States, local educational agencies, or other recipients of funds under this chapter;
(10)
the selection of a school attendance area or school under subsections (a) and (b) of section
6313 of this title, except that the Secretary may grant a waiver to allow a school attendance area or school to participate in activities under part A of subchapter I of this chapter if the percentage of children from low-income families in the school attendance area or who attend the school is not more than 10 percentage points below the lowest percentage of those children for any school attendance area or school of the local educational agency that meets the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of section
6313 of this title.
(d)
Duration and extension of waiver
(1)
In general
Except as provided in paragraph (2), a waiver approved by the Secretary under this section may be for a period not to exceed 4 years.
(2)
Extension
The Secretary may extend the period described in paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that—
(e)
Reports
(1)
Local waiver
A local educational agency that receives a waiver under this section shall, at the end of the second year for which a waiver is received under this section and each subsequent year, submit a report to the State educational agency that—
(2)
State waiver
A State educational agency that receives reports required under paragraph (1) shall annually submit a report to the Secretary that is based on those reports and contains such information as the Secretary may require.
(3)
Indian tribe waiver
An Indian tribe that receives a waiver under this section shall annually submit a report to the Secretary that—
(4)
Report to Congress
Beginning in fiscal year 2002 and for each subsequent year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report—
(f)
Termination of waivers
The Secretary shall terminate a waiver under this section if the Secretary determines, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, that the performance of the State or other recipient affected by the waiver has been inadequate to justify a continuation of the waiver or if the waiver is no longer necessary to achieve its original purposes.
(g)
Publication
A notice of the Secretary’s decision to grant each waiver under subsection (a) of this section shall be published in the Federal Register and the Secretary shall provide for the dissemination of the notice to State educational agencies, interested parties, including educators, parents, students, advocacy and civil rights organizations, and the public.