Protection of Pupil Rights (Hatch Amendment)

Protection of Pupil Rights (Hatch Amendment)

Goals 2000, Educate America Act—

Sec. 1017. PROTECTION OF PUPILS

Section 439 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g) is amended to read as follows:

"PROTECTION OF PUPIL RIGHTS

"Sec. 439. (a) All instructional materials, including teacher's manuals, films, tapes, or other supplementary material which will be used in connection with any survey, analysis, or evaluation as part of any applicable program shall be available for inspection by the parents or guardians of the children.

"(b) No student shall be required, as part of any applicable program, to submit to a survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning—

"(1) political affiliations;

"(2) mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student or his family;

"(3) sex behavior and attitudes;

"(4) illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior;

"(5) critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships;

"(6) legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers; or

"(7) income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program),

without the prior consent of the student (if the student is an adult or emancipated minor), or in the case of an unemancipated minor, without the prior written consent of the parent.

"(c) Educational agencies and institutions shall give parents and students effective notice of their rights under this section.

"(d) Enforcement.—The Secretary shall take such action as the Secretary determines appropriate to enforce this section, except that action to terminate assistance provided under an applicable program shall be taken only if the Secretary determines that—

"(1) there has been a failure to comply with such section; and

"(2) compliance with such section cannot be secured by voluntary means.

"(e) Office of Review Board.—The Secretary shall establish or designate an office and review board within the Department of Education to investigate, process, review, and adjudicate violations of the rights established under this section.".

When does this act apply?

When federal money is involved in the implementation and maintenance of a program. If a school district has a federal grant to write curriculum, this law applies. If the state has a federal grant for a particular program, and in turn, provides grants to school districts for the same program, this law applies.

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