On Dec. 10, 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (P.L. 114-95) became law. ESSA primarily reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), but includes other provisions as well. Among these, Section 5005 requires the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) to "review the organization, structure, and process and procedures of the Department of Education for administering its programs and developing policy and regulations, in order to-- (1) assess the methods and manner through which, and the extent to which, the Department of Education takes into account, considers input from, and addresses the unique needs and characteristics of rural schools and rural local educational agencies; and (2) determine actions that the Department of Education can take to meaningfully increase the consideration and participation of rural schools and rural local educational agencies in the development and execution of the processes, procedures, policies, and regulations of the Department of Education." The Department must issue a report to the Department's authorizing committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and carry out each action described in the final report or explain to the authorizing committees the reason for not carrying out any action described in this report.