USA Civics Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3242 | Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl (D-OR)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Understanding and Studying American Civics Act of 2021 or the USA Civics Act of 2021
This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and revises the American History for Freedom grant program.
The bill renames the program as the American Civics Education Program.
The bill authorizes the Department of Education to award grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) once every three years to establish or strengthen academic programs to promote American political thought and history; the history, achievements, and impact of American representative democracy and constitutional democracies globally; and the means of participation in political and civic life. Currently, these grants are awarded to IHEs for three years and are focused on traditional American history and the history and achievements of Western civilization.
IHEs may use grants to support additional activities, such as collaborating with federal or state humanities programs and using open educational resources.

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the American 
                   History for Freedom grant program.

    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 ``Understanding and Studying American 
Civics Act of 2021'' or the ``USA Civics Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. AMERICAN CIVICS EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    Section 805 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161e) 
is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``history for 
        freedom'' and inserting ``civics education program'';
            (2) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``subsection (f)'' and inserting 
                ``subsection (g)'';
                    (B) by striking ``the Secretary is authorized to 
                award three-year grants, on a competitive basis,'' and 
                inserting ``the Secretary is authorized to award 
                grants, once every 3 years and on a competitive 
                basis,'';
                    (C) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) American political thought and history;'';
                    (D) in paragraph (2) by striking ``or'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (E) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(3) the history, achievements, and impact of American 
        representative democracy and constitutional democracies 
        globally; or''; and
                    (F) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) the means of participation in political and civic 
        life.'';
            (3) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``as defined in 
                section 101.'' and inserting ``, or a partnership that 
                includes an institution of higher education and one or 
                more nonprofit organizations, whose missions and 
                demonstrated expertise are consistent with the purpose 
                of this section.'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``that emerged'' 
                and all that follows through the period at the end and 
                inserting ``founded on the principles of representative 
                democracy, constitutional government, individual 
                rights, market economics, religious freedom and 
                religious tolerance, and freedom of thought and 
                inquiry.''; and
                    (C) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(3) American political thought and history.--The term 
        `American political thought and history' means--
                    ``(A) the significant constitutional, political, 
                intellectual, economic, social, and foreign policy 
                trends and issues that have shaped the course of 
                American history; and
                    ``(B) the key episodes, turning points, texts, and 
                figures involved in the constitutional, political, 
                intellectual, diplomatic, social, and economic history 
                of the United States.'';
            (4) in subsection (c)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                ``traditional'' and all that follows through the 
                semicolon and inserting ``American political thought 
                and history, free institutions, the impact of American 
                representative democracy and constitutional democracies 
                globally, or the means of participation in political 
                and civic life;''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, which may 
                include the creation or use of open educational 
                resources'' after ``subsection (e)(1)(B)'';
            (5) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) increase access to quality programming that expands 
        knowledge of American political thought and history, free 
        institutions, the impact of American representative democracy 
        and constitutional democracies globally, or the means of 
        participation in political and civic life;''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``traditional 
                American history, free institutions, or Western 
                civilization'' and inserting ``American political 
                thought and history, free institutions, the impact of 
                American representative democracy and constitutional 
                democracies globally, or the means of participation in 
                political and civic life.'';
            (6) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
    ``(e) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) Required use of funds.--Funds provided under this 
        section shall be used--
                    ``(A) for collaboration with local educational 
                agencies for the purpose of providing elementary school 
                and secondary school teachers an opportunity to enhance 
                their knowledge of American political thought and 
                history, free institutions, the impact of American 
                representative democracy and constitutional democracies 
                globally, or the means of participation in political 
                and civic life; and
                    ``(B) to carry out one or more of the following:
                            ``(i) Establishing or strengthening 
                        academic programs or centers focused on 
                        American political thought and history, free 
                        institutions, the impact of American 
                        representative democracy and constitutional 
                        democracies globally, or the means of 
                        participation in political and civic life, 
                        which may include--
                                    ``(I) design and implementation of 
                                programs of study, courses, lecture 
                                series, seminars, and symposia;
                                    ``(II) development, publication, 
                                and dissemination of instructional 
                                materials;
                                    ``(III) research;
                                    ``(IV) support for faculty teaching 
                                in undergraduate and, if applicable, 
                                graduate programs; or
                                    ``(V) support for graduate and 
                                postgraduate fellowships, if 
                                applicable.
                            ``(ii) For teacher preparation initiatives 
                        that stress content mastery regarding American 
                        political thought and history, free 
                        institutions, the impact of American 
                        representative democracy and constitutional 
                        democracies globally, or the means of 
                        participation in political and civic life.
                            ``(iii) To conduct outreach activities to 
                        ensure that information about the activities 
                        funded under this section is widely 
                        disseminated--
                                    ``(I) to undergraduate students 
                                (including students enrolled in teacher 
                                education programs, if applicable);
                                    ``(II) to graduate students 
                                (including students enrolled in teacher 
                                education programs, if applicable);
                                    ``(III) to faculty;
                                    ``(IV) to local educational 
                                agencies; and
                                    ``(V) within the local community.
            ``(2) Allowable uses of funds.--Funds provided under this 
        section may be used to support--
                    ``(A) collaboration with entities such as--
                            ``(i) nonprofit organizations whose 
                        missions and demonstrated expertise are 
                        consistent with the purpose of this section, 
                        for assistance in carrying out activities 
                        described under subsection (a); and
                            ``(ii) Federal or State humanities 
                        programs, which may include those funded by the 
                        National Endowment for the Humanities;
                    ``(B) the creation and use of open educational 
                resources on American political thought and history, 
                free institutions, or the impact of American 
                representative democracy and constitutional democracies 
                globally, or the means of participation in political 
                and civic life; and
                    ``(C) other activities that meet the purposes of 
                this section.'';
            (7) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g);
            (8) in subsection (g), as redesignated by paragraph (7), by 
        striking ``2009'' and inserting ``2021''; and
            (9) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
    ``(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to authorize the Secretary to prescribe an American political 
thought and history curriculum.''.
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