H.R. 8402

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8402 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8402

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to increase 
civics education programs, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 21, 2026

Mr. Cleaver (for himself, Ms. Sewell, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Mullin, Ms. 
Sanchez, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. 
Casten, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Carson, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Keating, Ms. 
McCollum, Ms. Titus, Mr. Gottheimer, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Nadler, Ms. 
Ross, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, 
and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to increase 
civics education programs, 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 ``Civics Learning Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The dearth of civics lessons available to students 
across the United States has helped to foster a political 
climate that is deeply partisan and divided.
(2) Polarization in the United States has fractured public 
morale in our democratic institutions and has created an 
environment in which people are less likely to be well-informed 
on the processes of our constitutional republic, the current 
state of affairs, and the importance of participating in the 
political process.
(3) It is impossible to tell the true, full history of this 
Nation and recognize the power of our representative democracy 
without discussing the painful and powerful history of the 
civil rights movement. It is incumbent on Congress to ensure 
the full history of our great Nation is being taught to the 
next generation of leaders.
(4) According to the Annenberg Constitution Day Civics 
Survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the 
University of Pennsylvania, in 2022--
(A) only 47 percent of people in the United States 
surveyed were capable of naming all 3 branches of 
government, while 25 percent of Americans were not able 
to name any of the branches of government;
(B) less than half of Americans (46 percent) 
correctly stated that the Supreme Court has the final 
responsibility for determining the constitutionality of 
laws if the President and Supreme Court disagree; and
(C) 26 percent could not name any of the rights 
guaranteed under the First Amendment.
(5) In 2022, only 22 percent of eighth graders were found 
to have performed at or above the proficient level on the 
National Assessment of Educational Progress civics exam 
conducted by the National Center of Education Studies.
(6) A lack of knowledge regarding the structural basics of 
our constitutional republic and the history of our struggle for 
suffrage and civil rights creates an increasingly ill-equipped 
electorate which over time, can, and will continue to, 
contribute to a weakened democracy.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 
1965.

Section 2233 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6663) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ``and prioritize innovative civics 
learning and teaching, including by encouraging'' after 
``to encourage''; and
(B) by inserting ``(including students and teachers 
at high-need schools (as defined in section 2221))'' 
before the period;
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by inserting ``and appropriated under 
subsection (h) of this section'' after ``2231(b)(2)''; 
and
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
following:
``(2) may include--
``(A) hands-on civic engagement activities for 
teachers and students;
``(B) activities about the history and principle of 
the Constitution of the United States, including the 
Bill of Rights, women's suffrage, and the civil rights 
movement;
``(C) before-school, during-school, after-school, 
and extracurricular activities;
``(D) activities that include service learning and 
community service projects that are linked to school 
curriculum;
``(E) activities that encourage and support student 
participation in school governance; and
``(F) online and video game based learning.'';
(3) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (3) and 
inserting the following:
``(3) Diversity of projects.--
``(A) Diversity of grants.--In awarding grants 
under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that, to 
the extent practicable, grants are distributed among 
eligible entities that will serve geographically 
diverse areas, including urban, suburban, and rural 
areas, and public elementary schools.
``(B) Allocation of grant funding.--To the extent 
practicable based on the applications received under 
subsection (d), the Secretary shall ensure that--
``(i) not less than 30 percent of the grant 
funds under this section are awarded to 
eligible entities that serve elementary school 
students and teachers;
``(ii) not less than 30 percent of the 
grant funds under this section are awarded to 
eligible entities that serve middle school 
students and teachers; and
``(iii) not more than 40 percent of the 
grant funds under this section are awarded to 
eligible entities that serve high school 
students and teachers.'';
(4) in subsection (d), by inserting ``, and containing such 
information,'' after ``manner''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(f) Grant Award Preference.--In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give preference to applications for 
programs that carry out the activities listed in subsection (b)(2) for 
the purpose of strengthening civics education and learning.
``(g) Annual Report.--Not later than 90 days after the end of each 
fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Education 
and Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report 
containing--
``(1) a description of each eligible entity awarded a grant 
under this section during the preceding fiscal year;
``(2) a description of whether each such eligible entity 
was able to meet each of the purposes under subsection (a), and 
if so, how such eligible entity was able to meet such purposes; 
and
``(3) any recommendations for continuation of the grant 
program under this section.
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to the amounts 
reserved under section 2231(b)(2), there are authorized to be 
appropriated $70,000,000 to carry out this section for fiscal year 
2027.''.
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