Education Leaders Celebrate Repeal of Last Provision in Federal Law Banning Use of Federal Funds for Desegregation

Press Release

Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Committee on Education and Labor, and Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Subcommittee on Appropriations, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) released the following statement after the House voted to repeal Section 426 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). The provision was first included in the Fiscal Year 2021 House Labor-HHS Bill and maintained in the final Omnibus Package. This action follows the elimination of two harmful and similar legacy riders in the Fiscal Year 2019 Labor-HHS Bill.

"Segregated schools mean segregated opportunities. More than 66 years after the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, we have yet to fulfill the promise of equity in education. According to a 2016 GAO study, America's public schools are more segregated today than at any time since the 1960s.

"School desegregation is proven to close achievement gaps and produce lifelong benefits by providing students of color access to the same resources as their white counterparts. Communities across the country are coming up with innovative strategies to desegregate schools and promote diversity. However, many districts lack the resources necessary to meaningfully address school segregation in their communities.

"By removing the last remaining provision in federal law that bans the use of federal funds for transportation to promote school integration, Congress is sending a clear message to school districts: The important work of school desegregation brings us closer to finally fulfilling the promise of Brown and the federal government should support these efforts."

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