STUDENT Act
H.R. 4658, titled the STOPPING TEACHERS UNIONS FROM DAMAGING EDUCATION NEEDS TODAY ACT (STUDENT Act), would amend chapter 1511 of 36 U.S.C. to impose a series of new governance, financial, and political-operation requirements on the National Education Association (NEA), the federal-chartered teachers’ union. The bill’s findings characterize the NEA as a federally chartered, politically active organization and express concerns about its leadership, advocacy, and spending. If enacted, the bill would subject the NEA and its state/local affiliates to stricter oversight, including rules on dues collection, prohibitions on political activity by the organization and its leaders, and a broad set of governance and reporting obligations. It also would repeal the District of Columbia property tax exemption for the NEA. In short, the bill would significantly broaden Congress’s oversight over the NEA, restrict its political activities and indoctrination claims, require transparency and accountability in governance and finances, and remove a tax exemption in DC, with enforcement mechanisms including potential federal litigation and annual congressional reporting.
Key Points
- 1Short title: The act is called the STOPPING TEACHERS UNIONS FROM DAMAGING EDUCATION NEEDS TODAY ACT, or the STUDENT Act.
- 2Membership and dues changes: Amends 36 U.S.C. 151103 to require that dues/fees paid by state/local government employees be collected only with explicit notice of First Amendment rights to opt out, clear affirmative consent to membership, and authorization to transmit dues without payroll deduction; provides for timely cancellation of membership and dues upon request.
- 3New organizational requirements (Sec. 4): Establishes a comprehensive set of requirements for the NEA and its affiliates, including:
- 4- Prohibition on contributing to or influencing political activities or legislation.
- 5- Prohibition on discrimination and on race-based quotas in membership, governance, or personnel decisions.
- 6- Citizenship requirement for officers.
- 7- Maintenance of tax-exempt status.
- 8- Representative form of government and avoidance of concentrated control.
- 9- Vicarious liability for officers/agents’ acts; compliance with service-of-process laws; record-keeping and access to records; annual congressional reporting.
- 10- Civil enforcement by the Attorney General for noncompliance or harmful practices; asset distribution on dissolution.
- 11- Restrictions on compensation for government-employed staff or representatives.
- 12- Prohibition on promoting certain beliefs about race, sex, or religion and on indoctrinating students with those beliefs; prohibition on urging public schools to require student adherence to such beliefs.
- 13- Prohibition on strikes or work stoppages against state/local governments; and LMRA (Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act) compliance as a labor organization.
- 14Repeal of DC tax exemption (Sec. 5): Repeals Section 151106, eliminating the District of Columbia property tax exemption for the NEA and amends the chapter accordingly.