text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Commission on Effective Regulation 
  and Assessment Systems for Public Schools Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON EFFECTIVE REGULATION AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS FOR 
                PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
  
      (a) In General.--The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
  (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
  
   ``TITLE X--COMMISSION ON EFFECTIVE REGULATION AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS 
                             FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
  
  ``SEC. 10001. DEFINITIONS.
  
      ``In this title:
              ``(1) Chairperson.--The term `Chairperson' means the 
          Chairperson of the Commission.
              ``(2) Commission.--The term `Commission' means the 
          Commission on Effective Regulation and Assessment Systems for 
          Public Schools.
              ``(3) Relevant committees.--The term `relevant committees' 
          means the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
          of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
          of the House of Representatives.
  
  ``SEC. 10002. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION ON EFFECTIVE REGULATION AND 
                ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
  
      ``(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
  enactment of the Commission on Effective Regulation and Assessment 
  Systems for Public Schools Act, the Secretary shall establish a 
  commission to be known as the `Commission on Effective Regulation and 
  Assessment Systems for Public Schools'.
      ``(b) Purpose.--The Commission shall--
              ``(1) examine Federal, State, and local regulatory 
          requirements on elementary and secondary education;
              ``(2) make recommendations on how to align and improve such 
          Federal, State, and local requirements to improve performance 
          and innovation;
              ``(3) examine the quality and purpose of current Federal, 
          State, and local assessment requirements; and
              ``(4) make recommendations to improve and align assessment 
          systems to provide quality and meaningful information for 
          parents, teachers, and students to improve student achievement, 
          teacher performance, and innovation.
      ``(c) Membership.--
              ``(1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of--
                      ``(A) 4 Governors;
                      ``(B) 6 State legislators;
                      ``(C) 2 Chief State school officers;
                      ``(D) 2 State officials responsible for 
                  administering Federal education programs;
                      ``(E) 4 superintendents;
                      ``(F) 2 principals;
                      ``(G) 2 teachers;
                      ``(H) 2 assessment experts; and
                      ``(I) 2 teacher and principal effectiveness 
                  experts.
              ``(2) Recommendations.--The Secretary shall solicit input 
          and nominations for appointing members of the Commission from--
                      ``(A) Governors;
                      ``(B) members of Congress;
                      ``(C) State legislators;
                      ``(D) superintendents, principals, teachers, and 
                  other members of the education community; and
                      ``(E) parents, students, and other members of the 
                  general public.
              ``(3) Determination.--The Secretary shall determine the 
          membership of the Commission after considering recommendations 
          submitted under paragraph (2).
      ``(d) Chairperson.--The Secretary shall designate a Governor as the 
  Chairperson of the Commission.
      ``(e) Meetings.--The Commission shall hold, at the call of the 
  Chairperson, at least 1 meeting every 6 months. All such meetings shall 
  be open to the public. The Commission may hold, at the call of the 
  Chairperson, such other meetings as the Chairperson sees fit to carry 
  out this title.
      ``(f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
  constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
      ``(g) Initial Meeting.--The Commission shall hold its first meeting 
  not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of the Commission on 
  Effective Regulation and Assessment Systems for Public Schools Act.
  
  ``SEC. 10003. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.
  
      ``(a) Hearings.--
              ``(1) In general.--The Commission shall hold such hearings, 
          sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and 
          receive such evidence as the Commission determines appropriate 
          to carry out this title.
              ``(2) Participation.--In hearings held under this 
          subsection, the Commission shall consider inviting witnesses 
          from, among other groups--
                      ``(A) teachers;
                      ``(B) parents;
                      ``(C) principals;
                      ``(D) superintendents;
                      ``(E) Federal, State, and local educational agency 
                  personnel;
                      ``(F) researchers and other experts; and
                      ``(G) any other individuals determined appropriate 
                  by the Commission.
      ``(b) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure 
  directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the 
  Commission considers necessary to carry out this title. Upon request of 
  the Chairperson, the head of such department or agency shall furnish 
  such information to the Commission.
  
  ``SEC. 10004. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.
  
      ``(a) Duties.--
              ``(1) In general.--The Commission shall take such actions 
          as it determines necessary to gain a full understanding of the 
          issues of effective regulation and assessment systems for 
          public schools.
              ``(2) Areas of emphasis.--The Commission shall focus--
                      ``(A) in examining the over-regulation of public 
                  schools, on--
                              ``(i) examining Federal, State and local 
                          regulations governing public schools;
                              ``(ii) differentiating between financial, 
                          programmatic, general education, special 
                          education, and civil rights requirements;
                              ``(iii) identifying which government entity 
                          requires each regulation;
                              ``(iv) measuring the cost of compliance in 
                          terms of funds spent on compliance and time in 
                          hours and personnel;
                              ``(v) identifying duplicative, redundant, 
                          or unnecessary regulations at each governmental 
                          level; and
                              ``(vi) investigating how Federal, State, 
                          and local interpretations of laws and 
                          regulations create additional or unnecessary 
                          burden and are used as rationale for imposing 
                          requirements that are not actually mandated by 
                          law; and
                      ``(B) in examining the effective testing of public 
                  schools, on--
                              ``(i) examining Federal, State, and local 
                          testing and standardized assessment 
                          requirements for public elementary schools, 
                          middle schools, and high schools;
                              ``(ii) determining the purpose and intent 
                          of each such test or assessment, including 
                          whether it is intended to measure student 
                          achievement and growth, teacher and principal 
                          effectiveness, or system accountability;
                              ``(iii) determining the frequency, length, 
                          and scheduling of such tests and assessments, 
                          and measuring, in hours and days, the student 
                          and teacher time spent on testing;
                              ``(iv) examining standardized assessments 
                          required by Federal, State, or local 
                          requirements, excluding teacher-created tests 
                          and quizzes and formative assessments;
                              ``(v) reporting on the quality of 
                          standardized assessments;
                              ``(vi) examining reporting practices of 
                          test results and the degree to which they are 
                          returned in a timely manner with sufficient 
                          quality to be useful to parents, teachers and 
                          principals, and students to inform and improve 
                          their work, including targeting instruction to 
                          student needs, grading student work, and 
                          evaluating teacher and principal effectiveness;
                              ``(vii) analyzing the ability of quality 
                          assessments to measure whether a student is 
                          prepared to graduate from high school and 
                          pursue college or a career without the need for 
                          academic remediation;
                              ``(viii) examining what factors most 
                          contribute to quality assessments and the 
                          extent to which high-quality assessments can 
                          advance student learning;
                              ``(ix) determining the technology 
                          infrastructure required for next generation 
                          assessments; and
                              ``(x) identifying opportunities to improve 
                          assessment practices to better promote parent, 
                          teacher and principal, and student 
                          understanding of progress toward college and 
                          career readiness and public understanding of 
                          school performance and educational 
                          productivity.
              ``(3) Samples.--In conducting its work under this title, 
          the Commission may rely on samples of States and local school 
          districts for examples of regulations and testing requirements.
      ``(b) Reports.--
              ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Commission 
          shall provide regular reports in a manner and form of the 
          Commission's choosing to--
                      ``(A) the Secretary; and
                      ``(B) the members of the relevant committees.
              ``(2) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
          of the first meeting of the Commission, and annually 
          thereafter, the Commission shall issue a report to--
                      ``(A) the Secretary; and
                      ``(B) the members of the relevant committees.
              ``(3) Public report.--The Commission shall--
                      ``(A) prepare a report--
                              ``(i) analyzing findings of the Commission; 
                          and
                              ``(ii) making recommendations for Federal, 
                          State, and local policy makers; and
                      ``(B) broadly disseminate such report to the 
                  general public.
      ``(c) Testimony.--The Chairperson shall annually provide testimony 
  to the relevant committees.
  
  ``SEC. 10005. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.
  
      ``(a) Compensation of Members.--Each member of the Commission shall 
  serve without compensation in addition to any such compensation 
  received for the member's service as an officer or employee of the 
  United States, if applicable.
      ``(b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Commission shall be 
  allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
  rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter 1 of 
  chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes 
  or regular places of business in the performance of services for the 
  Commission.
      ``(c) Assistance.--
              ``(1) In general.--The Assistant Secretary of Elementary 
          and Secondary Education shall provide assistance to the 
          Commission, upon request of the Commission, without 
          reimbursement.
              ``(2) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal 
          Government employee may be detailed to the Commission without 
          reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or 
          loss of civil service status or privilege.''.
      (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 2 of the 
  Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by adding at 
  the end the following:
  
   ``TITLE X--COMMISSION ON EFFECTIVE REGULATION AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS 
                             FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
  
  ``Sec. 10001. Definitions.
  ``Sec. 10002. Establishment of Commission on Effective Regulation and 
                              Assessment Systems for Public Schools.
  ``Sec. 10003. Powers of the Commission.
  ``Sec. 10004. Duties of the Commission.
  ``Sec. 10005. Commission personnel matters.''.
target: Commission on Effective Regulation and Assessment Systems for Public Schools Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish the Commission on Effective Regulation and Assessment Systems for Public Schools, composed of certain government officials, educators, and education policy experts.
  
  Requires the Commission to: (1) examine the effect government regulations have on elementary and secondary education; (2) recommend ways to align and improve those regulations to improve performance and innovation in education; and (3) recommend ways to improve and align assessment systems to provide reliable and meaningful information to parents, teachers, and students to improve student achievement, teacher performance, and innovation.
feat_title: A bill to establish the Commission on Effective Regulation and Assessment Systems for Public Schools.