I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7431 
To implement the proposed constitutional amendment requiring Members 
of Congress to demonstrate competence in American civics. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 9, 2026 
Mr. HUNT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To implement the proposed constitutional amendment requir-
ing Members of Congress to demonstrate competence 
in American civics. 
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 ‘‘Congressional Civics 
Act of 2026’’. 
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SEC. 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF EVENTUAL CONSTITUTIONAL 
REQUIREMENT THAT MEMBERS OF CON-
GRESS 
DEMONSTRATE 
COMPETENCE 
IN 
AMERICAN CIVICS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Congress shall establish and 
administer, for each census term, the examination re-
quired for Members of Congress to demonstrate com-
petence on the system of government under the United 
States Constitution. 
(b) EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERS OF 
CONGRESS.—A House of Congress may not seat an indi-
vidual as a Member following the election or appointment 
of the individual, as the case may be, unless the individual 
can demonstrate, in accordance with the rules of the 
House concerned, that the individual has successfully com-
pleted the examination in effect at the time of the election 
or the appointment. 
(c) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH EXAM-
INATION REQUIREMENT.—An individual elected or ap-
pointed to be a Member of Congress who does not success-
fully complete the examination in effect at the time of the 
election or appointment may not become a Member until 
the individual successfully completes the examination, and 
a vacancy shall arise with respect to the election or ap-
pointment if the individual does not successfully complete 
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the examination before two weeks after the election or ap-
pointment. 
(d) CONTENT OF EXAMINATION.—The examination 
shall consist of 25 questions randomly drawn from among 
100 questions approved in accordance with this section, 
with 5 questions from each of the following topics: 
(1) The founding of the first colonies and fac-
tors contributing to American independence. 
(2) Events in the American Revolution. 
(3) The Constitutional Convention of 1787 and 
the ratification of the United States Constitution. 
(4) The Civil War and Reconstruction. 
(5) The First World War. 
(6) The Second World War. 
(7) The Declaration of Independence. 
(8) The Articles of Confederation. 
(9) The United States Constitution. 
(10) The Bill of Rights. 
(11) The constitutional amendments ratified 
following the Civil War. 
(12) The other amendments to the Constitu-
tion. 
(13) Civil rights and civil liberties. 
(14) Due process and the rule of law. 
(15) Elections and the democratic process. 
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(16) Federalism, the relationship between the 
States and the Federal Government, and the relation 
between the United States and Indian Tribes. 
(17) Separation of powers under the Constitu-
tion. 
(18) The Congress. 
(19) The President and the executive depart-
ments. 
(20) The Supreme Court and the Federal judi-
ciary. 
(e) CORRECT ANSWERS.—A response to a question 
in the examination shall be considered correct if the re-
sponse is in accordance with the corresponding model an-
swer to the question. 
(f) COMMITTEE REPORT ON PROPOSED QUESTIONS 
AND ANSWERS FOR THE EXAMINATION.—Not later than 
June 30 of the year preceding the start of a census term, 
the appropriate congressional committees shall jointly sub-
mit to the House of Representatives and the Senate a re-
port on the examination for the census term which shall 
include— 
(1) questions and corresponding model answers 
in accordance with subsections (d) and (e); 
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(2) the number of correct responses required 
for an individual taking the examination to success-
fully complete the examination; and 
(3) the rules to govern the proceedings for the 
joint session of Congress under subsection (h)— 
(A) to consider, make amendments to, or 
replace the questions and corresponding model 
answers described in paragraph (1) or the num-
ber of correct responses required for successful 
completion of the examination under paragraph 
(2); and 
(B) to approve the examination after car-
rying out subparagraph (A). 
(g) MEMBER SUBMISSIONS OF QUESTIONS AND AN-
SWERS.—Not later than March 31 of the year preceding 
the start of a census term, a Member of Congress may 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees such 
questions and corresponding model answers for inclusion 
in the report under subsection (f). 
(h) JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS FOR CONSIDER-
ATION AND APPROVAL OF THE EXAMINATION.—Not ear-
lier than two months after the submission of the report 
under subsection (f) and not later than October 31 of the 
year before the start of a census term, the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate shall meet in a joint session 
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of Congress to consider the report and approve the exam-
ination, in accordance with the rules to govern the pro-
ceedings for the joint session included in the report. 
(i) EFFECTIVE DATE OF EXAMINATION.—The exam-
ination approved under subsection (h) in the year pre-
ceding the start of a census term shall be the examination 
in effect for the census term. 
(j) PUBLICATION OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
FOR THE EXAMINATION.—On approval of the examination 
under subsection (h), each House of Congress shall cause 
the approved questions and corresponding model answers 
with respect to the examination to be published in the 
journal of proceedings of the House concerned, and the 
appropriate congressional committees shall make available 
to the public a report containing the approved questions 
and corresponding model answers which shall also include 
such other information reasonably necessary for an indi-
vidual to successfully complete the examination. 
(k) ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXAMINATION.—The 
Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary 
of the Senate, or their respective designees, shall— 
(1) jointly administer the examination in ac-
cordance with this section; 
(2) subject to subsection (l), make the examina-
tion available, through a platform available on the 
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internet, for any citizen of the United States to take 
at the discretion and convenience of the citizen, 
without cost to the citizen; 
(3) maintain a database accessible to the gen-
eral public of individuals who have successfully com-
pleted the examination; and 
(4) provide to any individual who successfully 
completes the examination, on the demand of the in-
dividual, a certificate that shall serve as conclusive 
proof with respect to successfully completing the ex-
amination. 
(l) LIMIT
ON EXAMINATION SITTINGS.—An indi-
vidual may not take the examination under this section 
more than 3 times each calendar year, but an individual 
elected or appointed to be a Member of Congress who does 
not successfully complete the examination before the elec-
tion or appointment shall have the opportunity to take the 
examination at least once before a vacancy shall arise with 
respect to the election or appointment, notwithstanding 
any attempts to take the examination before the election 
or appointment. 
(m) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the following: 
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