II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 558 

To codify Executive Order 13950 (relating to combating race and sex 

stereotyping), and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 28, 2023 

Mr. COTTON (for himself, Mr. LANKFORD, and Mrs. BLACKBURN) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To codify Executive Order 13950 (relating to combating 

race and sex stereotyping), and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop CRT Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act: 

7 (1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘elementary 

8 school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘secondary 

9 school’’, and ‘‘State’’ have the meanings given those 


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1 terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec2 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

3 (2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

4 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

5 meaning given that term in section 102 of the High6 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 

7 (3) PROMOTE.—The term ‘‘promote’’, when 

8 used with respect to a race-based theory, means— 

9 (A) to include race-based theories or mate10 rials that advocate such theories in curricula, 

11 reading lists, seminars, workshops, trainings, or 

12 other educational or professional settings in a 

13 manner that could reasonably give rise to the 

14 appearance of official sponsorship, approval, or 

15 endorsement; 

16 (B) to contract with, hire, or otherwise en17 gage speakers, consultants, diversity trainers, 

18 and other persons for the purpose of advocating 

19 such theories; and 

20 (C) to compel students to profess a belief 

21 in such theories. 

22 (4) RACE-BASED THEORY.—The term ‘‘race23 based theory’’ means a theory that— 

24 (A) any race is inherently superior or infe25 rior to any other race; 


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1 (B) the United States is a fundamentally 

2 racist country; 

3 (C) the Declaration of Independence or the 

4 Constitution of the United States is a fun5 damentally racist document; 

6 (D) an individual’s moral worth is deter7 mined by the race of the individual; 

8 (E) an individual, by virtue of the race of 

9 the individual, is inherently racist or oppressive, 

10 whether consciously or unconsciously; or 

11 (F) an individual, because of the race of 

12 the individual, bears responsibility for the ac13 tions committed by members of the race of the 

14 individual. 

15 SEC. 3. CODIFICATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER. 

16 Executive Order 13950 (85 Fed. Reg. 60683; relat17 ing to combating race and sex stereotyping) shall have the 

18 force and effect of law, except that the Executive order 

19 shall not apply to elementary schools, secondary schools, 

20 or institutions of higher education. 

21 SEC. 4. FEDERAL FUNDS LIMITATION. 

22 (a) PROHIBITION ON AWARD OF FUNDS TO CERTAIN

23 ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS.—No Federal 

24 funds received by a State or a local educational agency 

25 may be allocated to an elementary school or secondary 


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1 school that promotes race-based theories or compels teach2 ers or students to affirm, adhere to, adopt, or profess be3 liefs contrary to title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 

4 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.). 

5 (b) PROHIBITION ON AWARD OF FUNDS TO CERTAIN

6 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—No Federal 

7 funds may be awarded to an institution of higher edu8 cation if such institution compels teachers or students to 

9 affirm, adhere to, adopt, or profess race-based theories or 

10 beliefs contrary to title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 

11 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.). 

12 (c) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.— 

13 (1) PROTECTED SPEECH NOT RESTRICTED.— 

14 Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict 

15 the speech of a student, a teacher, or any other indi16 vidual outside of a school setting. 

17 (2) ACCESS TO MATERIALS FOR THE PURPOSE

18 OF RESEARCH OR INDEPENDENT STUDY.—Nothing 

19 in this section shall be construed to prevent an indi20 vidual from accessing materials that advocate race21 based theories for the purpose of research or inde22 pendent study. 

23 (3) CONTEXTUAL EDUCATION.—Nothing in this 

24 section shall be construed to prevent an elementary 

25 school or secondary school from stating race-based 


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1 theories or assigning materials that advocate race2 based theories for educational purposes in contexts 

3 that make it clear the school does not sponsor, ap4 prove, or endorse such theories or materials. 

Æ 


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