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107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5301
To strengthen secondary and post-secondary education programs emphasizing
the nature, history, and philosophy of free institutions, the nature of
Western civilization, and the nature of the threats to freedom from
totalitarianism.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 26, 2002
Mr. PETRI (for himself and Mr. DREIER) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To strengthen secondary and post-secondary education pro-
grams emphasizing the nature, history, and philosophy
of free institutions, the nature of Western civilization,
and the nature of the threats to freedom from totali-
tarianism.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defense of Freedom
Education Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) In order to preserve and defend freedom
and civilization, especially in these challenging times,
future generations of Americans must be taught to
understand their full significance and value, and the
threats with which they are faced.
(2) Basic knowledge of United States and
Western history is essential to full and informed
participation in civic life and to the larger vibrancy
of the American experiment in self-government,
binding together a diverse people into a single Na-
tion with a common purpose.
(3) American citizens who lack knowledge of
the organizing principles of Western civilization will
also lack a true understanding and appreciation of
the democratic principles that define and sustain
America as a free people, such as liberty, justice, tol-
erance, government by the consent of the governed,
and equality under the law.
(4) America’s colleges and universities are
bellwethers of national priorities and values, setting
standards for the whole of the United States edu-
cation system and sending signals to students,
teachers, parents, and public schools about what
every educated citizen in a democracy must know.
(5) Most of the Nation’s colleges and univer-
sities no longer require United States history or sys-
tematic study of Western civilization as a pre-
requisite to graduation.
(6) Distinguished historians and intellectuals
fear that without a common civic memory and a
common understanding of the remarkable individ-
uals, events, and ideals that have shaped the Nation,
the people in the United States risk losing much of
what it means to be an American, as well as the
ability to fulfill the fundamental responsibilities of
citizens in a democracy.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol-
lows:
(1) To establish and strengthen post-secondary
education programs emphasizing the nature, history
and philosophy of free institutions, the nature of
Western civilization, and the nature of the threats to
freedom from totalitarianism in all its forms.
(2) To develop innovative teacher education
programs designed to equip teachers to more effec-
tively impart a knowledge of the nature of free insti-
tutions, the threats to free institutions, and the con-
tent of Western civilization to elementary, middle
and high school teachers.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) AMERICAN FOUNDING.—The term ‘‘Amer-
ican founding’’ means a field of study in an institu-
tion of higher education that—
(A) encompasses part or all of the period
of American history between the years 1607
through 1865, with particular emphasis on the
years 1763–1865;
(B) focuses on the major events, issues
and historical personages of this period;
(C) examines the historical antecedents of
the major events, issues and historical person-
ages described in subparagraph (B); or
(D) conforms with other criteria that the
secretary may prescribe.
(2) DEFENSE OF FREEDOM.—The term ‘‘de-
fense of freedom’’ means fields of study in an insti-
tution of higher education that—
(A) examines potent political threats to
free institutions (as such term is defined in this
Act), including communism, fascism, national
socialism, and nihilism; or
(B) examines human tendencies that
threaten free institutions, including tribalism,
racism, caste consciousness, and zealotry; or
(C) examines world history in the period
1901 through 2001, with particular emphasis
on the years 1914 to the present, in order to
understand the challenges of maintaining a free
society while resisting totalitarian movements of
global ambition.
(3) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘eligible in-
stitution’’ means—
(i) institutions of higher education;
(ii) specific programs within an insti-
tution of higher education;
(iii) foundations associated with insti-
tutions of higher education or with specific
programs within an institution of higher
education; or
(iv) other nonprofit organizations par-
ticipating in, or supporting, the develop-
ment of academic programs described in
section 2.
(B) SPECIAL
RULE.—Organizations de-
scribed in subparagraph (A)(iv) may apply to
award subgrants to eligible institutions at the
discretion of, and subject to the oversight of,
the Secretary. Grants to such organizations
shall not be subject to the limitations of section
4(f).
(4) FREE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘free insti-
tution’’, for the purposes of this Act, means institu-
tions characteristic of Western Civilization, such as
democracy, universalism, individual rights market
economics, religious freedom and tolerance, and free-
dom of thought and inquiry.
(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the same
meaning given that term under section 101 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Education.
(7) WESTERN CIVILIZATION.—The term ‘‘west-
ern civilization’’ means a field of study in an institu-
tion of higher education that—
(A) encompasses part or all of the period
of European history between 500 B.C. and the
present day;
(B) encompasses part or all of the period
of American history between 1607 and the
present day;
(C) focuses on major events, issues, and
historical personages of the period described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B); and
(D) examines the historical antecedents of
the major events, issues, and historical person-
ages described in subparagraph (C); or
(E) examines the development of free insti-
tutions characteristic of Western civilization, as
such term is defined in this Act;
(F) examines the intellectual, cultural, po-
litical and religious underpinnings of Western
civilization, such as the scientific enterprise, en-
trepreneurship, 
political 
pluralism, 
egali-
tarianism, moral universalism, and the belief in
the possibility of progress;
(G) examines the characteristic negative
features of Western civilization, such as totali-
tarianism and social Darwinism;
(H) examines the interaction of the West
with other civilizations, the Western debt to
other civilizations, and the comparative study of
high civilization; or
(I) conforms with other criteria that the
Secretary may prescribe.
SEC. 4. GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated to
carry out this Act, the Secretary shall provide, on a com-
petitive basis, grants to eligible institutions which shall be
used for one or more of the following:
(1) Research, planning, and coordination activi-
ties devoted to the ends of this Act.
(2) Design and implementation of courses and
the development of new, and supporting of existing,
centers devoted to the ends of this Act.
(3) Research and publication costs of relevant
readers and other course materials devoted to the
ends of this Act.
(4) General expenses associated with carrying
out this section.
(5) Salaries and expenses of faculty teaching in
undergraduate and graduate programs focused on
the American founding, defense of freedom, and
Western civilization.
(6) Support of graduate and postgraduate fel-
lowships for scholars in the fields related to the
American founding, the defense of freedom, and
Western civilization.
(7) Development of teacher education programs
that—
(A) stress content mastery in history or
government; and
(B) stress civic education preparation, in-
cluding the history and philosophy of free insti-
tutions, and the study of Western civilization).
(b) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting eligible insti-
tutions for grants under this section for any fiscal year,
the Secretary shall establish criteria by regulation.
(c) REQUIRED CRITERIA.—In establishing criteria
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall consider the fol-
lowing selection criteria in making grants:
(1) Educational value, and relevance to one or
more purpose described in section 2 of the proposed
project.
(2) Plan of operation.
(3) Qualification of key personnel.
(4) Budget and cost effectiveness.
(5) Evaluation plan.
(6) Adequacy of resources.
(7) Identification of need for the project.
(8) Potential institutional impact of the project.
(9) Institutional commitment to the project.
(d) GRANT APPLICATION.—An eligible institution
that desires to receive a grant under this Act shall submit
to the Secretary an application therefor at such time or
times, or in such manner, and containing such information
as the Secretary may prescribe by regulation. Such appli-
cation shall set forth—
(1) a program of activities for carrying out the
purposes described in section 2 in such detail as will
enable the Secretary to determine the degree to
which such program will accomplish such purpose;
and
(2) such other policies, procedures, and assur-
ances as the Secretary may require by regulation.
(e) GRANT REVIEW.—The Secretary shall establish
procedures for reviewing and evaluating grants and con-
tracts made or entered into under such programs.
(f) GRANT AWARDS.—For the purposes of this Act,
the Secretary shall award grants of not less than $400,000
and not more than $6,000,000 to eligible institutions.
(g) MULTIPLE AWARDS.—For the purposes of this
Act, the Secretary may award more than one grant to an
eligible institution.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there
are authorized to be appropriated—
(1) $140,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each of
the succeeding 5 fiscal years.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on September 1, 2002.
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