---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 3427"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "3427"
heading: "Coordinator for the outlying areas"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/3427"
units:
  - "Chapter 48 — Department of Education"
  - "Subchapter II — Establishment of the Department"
---

# §3427. Coordinator for the outlying areas

- (a) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/20/3404.md?p=2) shall designate an [office](/usc/20/3404.md?p=7) of the [Department](/usc/20/3404.md?p=1) to coordinate the activities of the [Department](/usc/20/3404.md?p=1) as they relate to the outlying areas.
- (b) **Appointment—** Not later than 90 days after January 8, 2002, the head of the [office](/usc/20/3404.md?p=7) designated under [subsection (a)](#a) shall appoint a coordinator for the outlying areas, who shall be a person with substantial experience in the operation of Federal programs in the outlying areas.
- (c) **Duties—** The coordinator for the outlying areas shall—
  - (1) serve as the principal advisor to the [Department](/usc/20/3404.md?p=1) on Federal matters affecting the outlying areas;
  - (2) evaluate, on a periodic basis, the needs of education programs in the outlying areas;
  - (3) assist with the coordination of programs that serve the outlying areas; and
  - (4) provide guidance to programs within the [Department](/usc/20/3404.md?p=1) that serve the outlying areas.
- (d) **Outlying areas defined—** As used in this section, the term “outlying areas” includes Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, but does not include the freely associated [states](/usc/20/3404.md?p=5) of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated [States](/usc/20/3404.md?p=5) of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–88, title II, § 220, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1072(a), Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 2088.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 8, 2002, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 107–110, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.