SenateS. 5676119th Congress
Strengthening Civics Education Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5676 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5676
To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to support
educational programs in civics and history, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 30, 2026
Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to support
educational programs in civics and history, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Civics Education
Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES; RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to support local educational agencies, elementary
schools, and secondary schools in selecting and making
available to all students innovative, engaging, evidence-based,
curricula and programs in civics and history that prepare them
to understand American Government and engage in American
democratic practices as citizens and residents of the United
States; and
(2) to encourage participation in the National Assessment
of Educational Progress assessments in civics and history in
grades 4, 8, and 12, using a methodology sufficient to provide
accurate State-level data on student proficiency in civics and
history, disaggregated so as to have statistical significance
for every State.
(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed
to supersede or preempt State or local control over the content,
standards, or instruction in civics or history education.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS.
Section 303(b) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20
U.S.C. 9622(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (H)
as subparagraphs (E) through (I) respectively;
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the
following:
``(D) conduct a national assessment, using a
methodology sufficient to provide accurate,
disaggregated, statistically significant State-level
data on student proficiency for every State, on student
academic achievement in elementary schools and
secondary schools at least once every 2 years, in
grades 4, 8, and 12 in civics and history;''; and
(C) in subparagraph (E), as so redesignated, by
striking ``history, geography, civics'' and inserting
``geography''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)(A)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``(2)(E)'' and
inserting ``(2)(F)'';
(B) by redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) as
clauses (iv) and (v), respectively;
(C) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
``(iii) shall conduct biennial State
academic assessments of student achievement in
civics and history in grades 4, 8, and 12, as
described in paragraph (2)(D);''; and
(D) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking
``(2)(D)'' and inserting ``(2)(E)''.
SEC. 4. USA CIVICS ACT.
Section 805 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161e)
is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``history for
freedom'' and inserting ``civics and history education
program'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``subsection (f)'' and
inserting ``subsection (g)''; and
(ii) by striking ``the Secretary is
authorized to award three-year grants, on a
competitive basis,'' and inserting ``the
Secretary is authorized to award grants, at the
Secretary's discretion but not less frequently
than once every 3 years and on a competitive
basis,'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or'' after the
semicolon;
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; or''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) the history, achievements, and impact of American
representative democracy and constitutional democracies
globally.'';
(3) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, or a
partnership that includes such an institution of higher
education and one or more nonprofit organizations whose
mission and demonstrated expertise are consistent with
the purpose of this section.'' after ``section 101'';
and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by inserting ``representative'' before
``democracy''; and
(ii) by inserting ``freedom of speech,
freedom of assembly,'' after ``market
economics'';
(4) in subsection (c)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``American
political thought and history, the impact of American
representative democracy and constitutional democracies
globally,'' after ``free institutions,''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, which may
include the creation or use of open educational
resources'' after ``subsection (e)(1)(B)'';
(5) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``American
political thought and history, the impact of American
representative democracy and constitutional democracies
globally,'' after ``free institutions,''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``American
political thought and history, the impact of American
representative democracy and constitutional democracies
globally, the means of participation in political and
civic life,'' after ``free institutions,'';
(6) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) by inserting ``American
political thought and history, the
impact of American representative
democracy and constitutional
democracies globally,'' after ``free
institutions,'';
(II) in clause (iv), by inserting
``or'' after the semicolon;
(III) in clause (v), by striking
``or'' after the semicolon; and
(IV) by striking clause (vi);
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(v), by striking
the period at the end and inserting a
semicolon; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) support teacher preparation initiatives that
stress content mastery regarding traditional American
history, free institutions, American political thought
and history, the impact of American representative
democracy and constitutional democracies globally, or
Western civilization; and
``(D) collaborate with local educational agencies
for the purpose of providing elementary school and
secondary school teachers an opportunity to enhance
their knowledge of traditional American history,
Western civilization, American political thought and
history, free institutions, or the impact of American
representative democracy and constitutional democracies
globally.''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (i), by striking
``and'' after the semicolon;
(II) in clause (ii), by striking
``and'' after the semicolon and
inserting ``or''; and
(III) by adding at the end the
following:
``(iii) Federal or State humanities
programs, which may include those funded by the
National Endowment for the Humanities; and'';
and
(ii) by amending subparagraph (B) to read
as follows:
``(B) the creation and use of open educational
resources on traditional American history, Western
civilization, American political thought and history,
free institutions, or the impact of American
representative democracy and constitutional democracies
globally.'';
(7) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g);
(8) in subsection (g), as redesignated by paragraph (7), by
striking ``2009'' and inserting ``2027''; and
(9) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
``(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to authorize the Secretary to prescribe an American political
thought and history curriculum.''.
SEC. 5. AMERICA250 CIVICS CLEARINGHOUSE.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and
the Secretary of the Interior, shall establish a publicly available
website, to be known as the ``America250 Civics Clearinghouse'', that
lists and describes Federal scholarship and fellowship opportunities
for students and teachers that have a nexus with civics and are offered
by the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the Department
of the Interior, the National Endowment for the Humanities, or any
other Federal agencies.
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