Today, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (S. 1177). This legislation, which fixes No Child Left Behind, contained two bipartisan efforts offered by U.S. Senator Dean Heller. Background information on each provision as well as PDF copies can be found below. Following Senate passage, Senator Heller offered this statement:

“Ensuring that our nation’s youth have access to a high-quality education and are prepared to compete in the 21st century is a priority of mine, which is why I was proud to contribute to this education bill. My wife Lynne has been a teacher in Nevada for many years, and I have seen firsthand the hard work she and her colleagues put in to improve the educational environment for Nevada’s students. My bipartisan provisions help our students by keeping them safe and preparing them to succeed in higher education and the workforce,” said Senator Dean Heller. “With passage of this bipartisan education reform legislation, the Senate has proven yet again that it is back to work – this time providing Nevada’s teachers and their students with the tools they need to succeed.”

Heller Provisions Included in Final Passage:

·         Senator Heller teamed with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) on an amendment to require governors of states to be consulted during the development of a state education plan to improve education and workforce readiness. The amendment also includes a 30-day “shot clock” for a state’s governor to approve the plan before it is submitted to the Secretary of Education. Last week, Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NV) applauded the amendment with this statement.

·         Senator Heller joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in introducing legislation to equip local school districts with the resources they need to develop or enhance child sexual abuse awareness and prevention efforts.

·         Senator Heller also cosponsored Senator Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) amendment, which prohibits federal funds from going to schools that help an employee or contractor get a new job when there is credible information that the individual engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor.