Sec. 2. Findings

354 words·~2 min read·/bill/116/s/4081/is/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress finds the following: In order to safely return to school in the fall, elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education must follow the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), States, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, or localities. In order to follow the guidelines provided by the CDC and other entities, schools and institutions must have the resources, training, and expertise necessary to ensure students, faculty, and staff can return to a safe school environment.

Safely reopening schools is critical to the long-term health and well-being of children, especially children from low-income households and children with disabilities. If schools are unable to safely reopen in the fall of 2020, student achievement gaps will be exacerbated, the digital divide will widen, social and emotional learning needs will become greater, and parents of young children will be forced to choose between paying for daycare services and returning to work or staying home with their children and forgoing employment opportunities.

For many institutions of higher education, safely reopening campuses is essential to long-term survivability, especially for institutions that serve a high percentage of low-income, Federal Pell Grant-eligible students. On June 10, 2020, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate held the hearing titled, COVID–19: Going Back to School Safely where Ms. Susana Cordova, the Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, testified that, after conducting a community-wide survey, the survey was loud and clear: prioritize health and wellness .

On June 4, 2020, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate held the hearing titled, COVID–19: Going Back to College Safely , where Dr. Logan Hampton, the President of Lane College in the State of Tennessee, testified that Congress needs to provide funding for the safety of our students, faculty, and staff and that doing so will help institutions adequately prepare and effectively execute the return of students to the classroom as we protect our campuses and larger communities .

Safely reopening elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education requires robust funding support to ensure schools and institutions are not left with unfunded mandates.