---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 7921"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "7921"
heading: "Local governance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/7921"
units:
  - "Chapter 70 — Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools"
  - "Subchapter VIII — General Provisions"
  - "Part F — Uniform Provisions"
  - "Subpart 2 — other provisions"
---

# §7921. Local governance

- (a) **Rule of construction—** Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to allow the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) to—
  - (1) exercise any governance or authority over school administration, including the development and expenditure of school budgets, unless otherwise authorized under this chapter;
  - (2) issue any regulation without first complying with the rulemaking requirements of [section 553 of title 5](/usc/5/553.md); or
  - (3) issue any nonregulatory guidance without first, to the extent feasible, considering input from stakeholders.
- (b) **Authority under other law—** Nothing in [subsection (a)](#a) shall be construed to affect any authority the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) has under any other Federal law.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–10, title VIII, § 8541, as added Pub. L. 114–95, title VIII, § 8033, Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2118.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section 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 an Effective Date of 2015 Amendment note under section 6301 of this title.