PEACE Act
Bill: S.2682 | Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco (R-FL)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Protect Equality And Civics Education Act or the PEACE Act
This bill prohibits the use of FY2021 funding made available for the American History and Civics Education program to fund a curriculum, teaching, or counseling that promotes a divisive concept under the priorities noticed in the Department of Education's proposed rule titled Proposed Priorities-American History and Civics Education, published on April 19, 2021.

To amend title III of division H of the Consolidated Appropriations 
  Act, 2021 to prohibit the expenditure of funds on divisive concepts 
  under the priorities noticed in the proposed rule submitted by the 
   Department of Education relating to Proposed Priorities-American 
                     History and Civics Education.

    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 ``Protect Equality And Civics 
Education Act'' or the ``PEACE Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.

    After section 318 of title III of division H of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260), insert the following:
    ``Sec. 319. (a) None of the funds made available by this title for 
an American history and civics education program under subpart 3 of 
part B of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6661 et seq.) may be used to fund curriculum, or 
teaching or counseling, that promotes or compels a divisive concept 
under the priorities noticed in the proposed rule submitted by the 
Department of Education relating to Proposed Priorities-American 
History and Civics Education (published at 86 Fed. Reg. 20348 (April 
19, 2021)).
    ``(b) In this section:
            ``(1) The term `promotes or compels a divisive concept', 
        means race stereotyping or race scapegoating, or promotion of 
        one or more of the following concepts:
                    ``(A) One race is inherently superior to another 
                race.
                    ``(B) The United States is fundamentally racist.
                    ``(C) An individual, by virtue of his or her race, 
                is inherently racist or oppressive, whether consciously 
                or unconsciously.
                    ``(D) An individual should be discriminated against 
                or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because 
                of his or her race.
                    ``(E) Members of one race cannot and should not 
                attempt to treat others without respect to race.
                    ``(F) An individual's moral character is 
                necessarily determined by his or her race.
                    ``(G) An individual, by virtue of his or her race, 
                bears responsibility for actions committed in the past 
                by other members of the same race.
                    ``(H) Any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, 
                anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on 
                account of his or her race.
                    ``(I) Meritocracy or traits such as a hard work 
                ethic are racist, or were created by a particular race 
                to oppress another race.
            ``(2) The term `race scapegoating' means assigning fault, 
        blame, or bias to a race, or to members of a race because of 
        their race.
            ``(3) The term `race stereotyping' means ascribing 
        character traits, values, moral and ethical codes, privileges, 
        status, or beliefs to a race, or to an individual because of 
        the individual's race.''.
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