20 U.S.C. § 11
Section 11 · 11 to 14. Repealed. Pub. L. 10533, title VI, 6201, Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 653
This is the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act
Amended 5 times on record
Applied in 177 court decisions — leading case Robert W. Otto v. City of Boca Raton, Florida (2020)
Most recently applied in Insurance Marketing Coalition Limited v. FCC (January 2025)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 12 U.S.C. § 11 · 13 U.S.C. § 11 · 16 U.S.C. § 11
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
There is annually appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sums provided in sections 12, 13, and 14 of this title, to be paid to the respective States for the purpose of cooperating with the States in paying the salaries of teachers, supervisors, and directors of agricultural subjects, and teachers of trade, home economics, and industrial subjects, and in the preparation of teachers of agricultural, trade, industrial, and home economics subjects, and the sum provided for in section 15 of this title for the use of the Department of Education for the administration of this chapter and for the purpose of making studies, investigations, and reports to aid in the organization and conduct of vocational education, which sums shall be expended as provided in said sections.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning act Feb. 23, 1917, which was classified to sections 11 to 15 and 16 to 28 of this title. Other sections formerly contained in this chapter were based on other acts, and have been omitted or repealed.
Short Title
Section 2 of act June 8, 1936, ch. 541, 49 Stat. 1488, as amended by act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 725, title I, §101, 60 Stat. 775, provided that the Act approved Feb. 23, 1917, ch. 114, 39 Stat. 929, classified to sections 11 to 15 and 16 to 28 of this title, shall be known as the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act. The 1917 act is also known as the Vocational Education Act of 1917.
The act of June 8, 1936, ch. 541, 49 Stat. 1488, as amended, which was classified to sections 15i to 15ggg and which was repealed by Pub. L. 90–576, title I, §103, Oct. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 1091, was known as the Vocational Education Act of 1946.
Section 1 of Pub. L. 87–22, Apr. 24, 1961, 75 Stat. 44, provided: “That this Act [amending sections 15aa, 15bb, 15cc, and 15jj of this title] may be cited as ‘The Practical Nurse Training Extension Act of 1961’.”
Transfer of Functions
“Department of Education” substituted in text for “Department of Health, Education, and Welfare” pursuant to sections 301 and 507 of Pub. L. 96–88, which are classified to sections 3441 and 3507 of this title and which transferred functions and offices (relating to education) of Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to Department of Education.
Functions of Federal Security Administrator transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and all agencies of Federal Security Agency transferred to Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by section 5 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Federal Security Agency and office of Administrator abolished by section 8 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953.
Federal Board for Vocational Education and its functions abolished by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1946, §8, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7873, 60 Stat. 1095, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.
Office of Education in Department of the Interior, including Federal Board for Vocational Education, transferred to Federal Security Agency by Reorg. Plan No. I of 1939, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.
Functions of Federal Board for Vocational Education transferred to Department of the Interior and Board required to act in an advisory capacity without compensation by Ex. Ord. No. 6166, set out as a note under section 901 of Title 5.
Appropriations Under Vocational Education Act of 1963
Pub. L. 90–576, title I, §104, Oct. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 1091, as amended by Pub. L. 91–230, title VII, §709, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 189; Pub. L. 94–482, title II, §203(c)(1), as added Pub. L. 95–40, §1(29), June 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 207; Pub. L. 98–524, §4(h), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2489, provided that: “Funds appropriated by the first section of the Smith-Hughes Act (that is the Act approved February 23, 1917, 39 Stat. 929, as amended (20 U.S.C. 11–15, 16–28)), shall be considered as funds appropriated pursuant to section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act [now Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act; 20 U.S.C. 2302].”
Pub. L. 94–482, title II, §203(c)(2), as added by Pub. L. 95–40, §1(29), June 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 207, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [amending this note and sections 817, 952, and 953 of Title 29, Labor] shall be effective on and after October 1, 1977.”
Cross References
School lunch programs, see section 1751 et seq. of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.