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20 USC § 1720 - Definitions

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t20/s1720"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "20 USC § 1720 - Definitions"
title_number: 20
title_name: "EDUCATION"
section_number: "1720"
section_name: "Definitions"
chapter_number: 39
chapter_name: "EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND TRANSPORTATION OF STUDENTS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES"
part_number: "5"
part_name: "Definitions"
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, § 221, Aug. 21, 1974, 88 Stat. 518.)"
---

# § 1720. Definitions

For the purposes of this subchapter—

**1** The term “educational agency” means a local educational agency or a “State educational agency” as defined by section 801(k) [^1] of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

See References in Text note below.

**(b)** The term “local educational agency” means a local educational agency as defined by section 801(f) <sup>1</sup> of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

**(c)** The term “segregation” means the operation of a school system in which students are wholly or substantially separated among the schools of an educational agency on the basis of race, color, sex, or national origin or within a school on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

**(d)** The term “desegregation” means desegregation as defined by section 2000c(b) of title 42.

**(e)** An educational agency shall be deemed to transport a student if any part of the cost of such student’s transportation is paid by such agency.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 93–380, title II, § 221, Aug. 21, 1974, 88 Stat. 518.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 801 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), is section 801, title VIII, of , which was formerly classified to . Section 801 of that Act was renumbered section 1001 of title X by , (2), , , and was reclassified to . Section 1001 was subsequently renumbered section 8001 and amended generally by , , , and, as so amended, did not contain subsections or specific definitions. Section 8001 was subsequently omitted in the general amendment of  by , , . For definitions, see .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

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