Uninterrupted Scholars Act (USA)

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on December 17, 2012. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

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.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov