As it continues its efforts to hand over more authority to states regarding how they spend their federal funds, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) encouraged all states to seek waivers from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). On July 29, 2025 the USDE stated the requirements under that law can be “burdensome,” and waivers would give state leaders the ability to spend money ”free from bureaucratic red tape.”
The ESEA, signed into law in 1965 and reauthorized in 2015, is designed to address educational inequities and improve educational quality by holding states accountable to specified regulations and requirements.
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