20 USC § 1701 - Congressional declaration of policy

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t20/s1701"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "20 USC § 1701 - Congressional declaration of policy"
title_number: 20
title_name: "EDUCATION"
section_number: "1701"
section_name: "Congressional declaration of policy"
chapter_number: 39
chapter_name: "EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND TRANSPORTATION OF STUDENTS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES"
part_number: "1"
part_name: "Policy and Purpose"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 93–380, title II, § 202, Aug. 21, 1974, 88 Stat. 514.)"
---


# § 1701. Congressional declaration of policy

**(a)** **Entitlement to equal educational opportunity; neighborhood as appropriate basis** The Congress declares it to be the policy of the United States that—

**(1)** all children enrolled in public schools are entitled to equal educational opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin; and

**(2)** the neighborhood is the appropriate basis for determining public school assignments.

**(b)** **Purpose** In order to carry out this policy, it is the purpose of this subchapter to specify appropriate remedies for the orderly removal of the vestiges of the dual school system.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 93–380, title II, § 202, Aug. 21, 1974, 88 Stat. 514.)

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective on and after sixtieth day after , see , set out as a note under .

### Short Title

> “This title [enacting this chapter and
> 
> and amending
> 
> ] may be cited as the ‘Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974’.”

, , , provided that: