---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 7910"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "7910"
heading: "Limitations on national testing or certification for teachers, principals, or other school leaders"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/7910"
units:
  - "Chapter 70 — Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools"
  - "Subchapter VIII — General Provisions"
  - "Part F — Uniform Provisions"
  - "Subpart 2 — other provisions"
---

# §7910. Limitations on national testing or certification for teachers, principals, or other school leaders

- (a) **Mandatory national testing or certification of teachers, principals, or other school leaders—** Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or any other provision of law, no funds available to the [Department](/usc/20/7801.md?p=13) or otherwise available under this chapter may be used for any purpose relating to a mandatory nationwide test or certification of teachers, principals, other [school leaders](/usc/20/7801.md?p=44), or education [paraprofessionals](/usc/20/7801.md?p=37), including any planning, development, implementation, or administration of, or incentive regarding, such test or certification.
- (b) **Prohibition on withholding funds—** The [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) is prohibited from withholding funds from any [State educational agency](/usc/20/7801.md?p=49) or [local educational agency](/usc/20/7713.md?p=9-A) if the [State educational agency](/usc/20/7801.md?p=49) or [local educational agency](/usc/20/7713.md?p=9-A) fails to adopt a specific method of teacher or [paraprofessional](/usc/20/7801.md?p=37) certification.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–10, title VIII, § 8530, formerly title IX, § 9530, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title IX, § 901, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1984; renumbered title VIII, § 8530, and amended Pub. L. 114–95, title VIII, §§ 8001(a)(6), 8027, Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2088, 2089, 2116.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 7910, Pub. L. 89–10, title IX, § 9210, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3804, related to Native Hawaiian community-based education learning centers, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter IX of this chapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

### Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–95, § 8027(1), inserted “, principals, or other school leaders” after “teachers” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–95, § 8027(3), inserted “, principals, other school leaders,” after “teachers” and “, or incentive regarding,” after “administration of”.

Pub. L. 114–95, § 8027(2), which directed amendment of subsection heading by inserting “, principals, or other school leaders” after “teachers”, was executed by making the insertion in the heading of subsec. (a) to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2015 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.