I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1559

To increase the level of funding for the Partnerships in Character Education 

Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 12, 2005

Mr. FORD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL

To increase the level of funding for the Partnerships in 

Character Education Program, 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 ‘‘Character Education 

5 Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INCREASED FUNDING FOR PARTNERSHIPS IN 

7 CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM. 

8 Section 5401 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu9 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7241) is amended—
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1 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 

2 striking ‘‘There are’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) IN GEN3 ERAL.—There are’’; 

4 (2) in paragraph (5), by striking 

5 ‘‘$650,000,000 for fiscal year 2006’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘$675,000,000 for fiscal year 2006’’; 

7 (3) in paragraph (6), by striking 

8 ‘‘$675,000,000 for fiscal year 2007’’ and inserting 

9 ‘‘$700,000,000 for fiscal year 2007’’; and 

10 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(b) PARTNERSHIPS IN CHARACTER EDUCATION.—

12 From the amount appropriated to carry out this part for 

13 each of fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 2008, the Secretary 

14 shall reserve $50,000,000 to carry out subpart 3.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. MODEL STATE CHARACTER EDUCATION CUR16 RICULUM. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 

18 United States shall—

19 (1) conduct a study of best practices in the field 

20 of character education; and 

21 (2) develop a model State character education 

22 curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12. 

23 (b) MODEL STATE CHARACTER EDUCATION CUR24 RICULUM.—
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1 (1) PRINCIPLES OF CURRICULUM.—The model 

2 State character education curriculum developed 

3 under this section shall embody the principles that 

4 character education—

5 (A) is premised on the notion that widely 

6 shared core ethical values, including honesty, 

7 fairness, justice, caring, responsibility, and re8 spect for self and others, form the basis of good 

9 character; 

10 (B) by promoting the validity of these val11 ues and the responsibility to uphold them, af12 firms human dignity, promotes the development 

13 and welfare of the individual, serves the com14 mon good, and promotes the exercise of citizen15 ship in a democratic society; and 

16 (C) should be an integral part of the cur17 riculum at all grade levels, should be part of a 

18 comprehensive approach that integrates char19 acter development into every aspect of school 

20 life, and should reach out to families and in21 clude them in character-building efforts. 

22 (2) FOCUS ON ASPECTS OF CHARACTER.—The 

23 model State character education curriculum devel24 oped under this section shall focus on aspects of 
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1 character including honesty, fairness, justice, caring, 

2 responsibility, and respect for self and others. 

3 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

4 of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of 

5 the United States shall submit to the Congress a report 

6 containing—

7 (1) the results of the study conducted under 

8 this section; and 

9 (2) the model State character education cur10 riculum developed under this section.

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