Uninterrupted Scholars Act (USA)
Public Law 112-278 · S. 3472 · 112th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jan 14, 2013 · Education
Sponsor: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Cosponsors (9): Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Mark Begich,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Uninterrupted Scholars Act (USA) - Amends provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 that prohibit the Department of Education from funding educational agencies or institutions that release student educational records (or personally identifiable information other than certain directory information) to any individual, agency, or organization without written parental consent.
Expands the list of organizations exempt from such prohibitions (thereby permitting the educational agencies or institutions participating in a Department of Education program to release records or identifiable information to such organizations without parental consent) to include an agency caseworker or other representative of a state or local child welfare agency or tribal organization authorized to access a student's case plan when such agencies or organizations are legally responsible for the care and protection of the student.
Sets forth conditions including that: (1) the education records, or the personally identifiable information contained in such records, will not be disclosed by such agency or organization, except to an individual or entity engaged in addressing the student's education needs and authorized by such agency or organization to receive such disclosure; and (2) such disclosures be consistent with applicable student record confidentiality laws of states and tribes.
Permits the release of such records and information without additional notice to parents and students when a parent is a party to a court proceeding involving child abuse and neglect or dependency matters and a court order has already been issued in the context of that proceeding.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Jan 14, 2013Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 112-278.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 3, 2013FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jan 1, 2013FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- Dec 30, 2012FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Roe (TN) objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3472.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Dec 17, 2012FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 1, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5880)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 3345SenateSen. Mary LandrieuD-LA· offered Dec 17, 2012Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 17, 2012: Amendment SA 3345 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.