Crucial Communism Teaching Act

Bill: 118-hr-5349
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27]
Introduced: 2023-09-05
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Civics education

Elementary and secondary education

Political movements and philosophies

Teaching, teachers, curricula
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-09
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-09-05
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Crucial Communism Teaching Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources for high school students to promote understanding of certain political ideologies (e.g., communism and totalitarianism) that conflict with principles of U.S. democracy.</p>

action_date: 2023-10-25
action_desc: Reported to House
text: <p><strong>Crucial Communism Teaching Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources for high school students to promote understanding of certain political ideologies (e.g., communism and totalitarianism) that conflict with principles of U.S. democracy.</p>

tv_txt: IIB 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5349 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 9, 2024 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions AN ACT To develop and disseminate a civic education curriculum and oral history resources regarding certain political ideologies, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Crucial Communism Teaching Act . 2. Purposes The purposes of this Act are the following: (1) To help families, civic institutions, local communities, local educational agencies, high schools, and State educational agencies to prepare high school students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults. (2) To ensure that high school students in the United States— (A) learn that communism has led to the deaths of over 100,000,000 victims worldwide; (B) understand the dangers of communism and similar political ideologies; and (C) understand that 1,500,000,000 people still suffer under communism. 3. Development and dissemination of civic education curriculum and oral history resources The independent entity created under section 905(b)(1)(B) of the FRIENDSHIP Act ( 40 U.S.C. 8903 note; 107 Stat. 2331 note), also known as the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation , shall— (1) develop a civic education curriculum for high school students that— (A) includes a comparative discussion of certain political ideologies, including communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the founding of the United States; (B) is updated periodically to ensure the curriculum includes both past and present communist and totalitarian regimes, with a focus on— (i) ongoing human rights abuses by such regimes, such as the treatment of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) by the People’s Republic of China; and (ii) aggression by such regimes against democratic nations and democracy, such as actions taken by the People’s Republic of China to deter pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and the increasingly aggressive posture by the People’s Republic of China toward Taiwan, a democratic friend of the United States. (C) is accurate, relevant, and accessible, so as to promote the understanding of such political ideologies; and (D) is compatible with a variety of courses, including social studies, government, history, and economics classes; (2) develop oral history resources that may be used alongside the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and that include personal stories, titled Portraits in Patriotism , from diverse individuals who— (A) demonstrate civic-minded qualities; (B) are victims of the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A); and (C) are able to compare the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A) with the political ideology of the United States; and (3) engage with State and local educational leaders to assist high schools in using the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and the resources described in paragraph (2). 4. Definitions The terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ) shall apply to this Act.

Passed the House of Representatives December 6, 2024. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: IB 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5349 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To develop and disseminate a civic education curriculum and oral history resources regarding certain political ideologies, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Crucial Communism Teaching Act . 2. Purposes The purposes of this Act are the following: (1) To help families, civic institutions, local communities, local educational agencies, high schools, and State educational agencies to prepare high school students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults. (2) To ensure that high school students in the United States— (A) learn that communism has led to the deaths of over 100,000,000 victims worldwide; (B) understand the dangers of communism and similar political ideologies; and (C) understand that 1,500,000,000 people still suffer under communism. 3. Development and dissemination of civic education curriculum and oral history resources The independent entity created under section 905(b)(1)(B) of the FRIENDSHIP Act ( 40 U.S.C. 8903 note; 107 Stat. 2331 note), also known as the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation , shall— (1) develop a civic education curriculum for high school students that— (A) includes a comparative discussion of certain political ideologies, including communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the founding of the United States; (B) is updated periodically to ensure the curriculum includes both past and present communist and totalitarian regimes, with a focus on— (i) ongoing human rights abuses by such regimes, such as the treatment of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) by the People’s Republic of China; and (ii) aggression by such regimes against democratic nations and democracy, such as actions taken by the People’s Republic of China to deter pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and the increasingly aggressive posture by the People’s Republic of China toward Taiwan, a democratic friend of the United States. (C) is accurate, relevant, and accessible, so as to promote the understanding of such political ideologies; and (D) is compatible with a variety of courses, including social studies, government, history, and economics classes; (2) develop oral history resources that may be used alongside the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and that include personal stories, titled Portraits in Patriotism , from diverse individuals who— (A) demonstrate civic-minded qualities; (B) are victims of the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A); and (C) are able to compare the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A) with the political ideology of the United States; and (3) engage with State and local educational leaders to assist high schools in using the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and the resources described in paragraph (2). 4. Definitions The terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ) shall apply to this Act.

Passed the House of Representatives December 6, 2024. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 205 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5349 [Report No. 118–255] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 5, 2023 Ms. Salazar (for herself, Ms. Stefanik , Mr. Diaz-Balart , Mr. Gimenez , Mrs. Spartz , Mr. Mooney , Mr. Bost , Mr. Duncan , Mr. Smith of New Jersey , Mr. Carter of Georgia , Mr. Crenshaw , Mr. LaMalfa , Mr. Sessions , Mrs. Hinson , Mr. Fitzgerald , Mrs. Miller-Meeks , Mr. Bilirakis , Mrs. Steel , Ms. Malliotakis , Mr. Valadao , Mr. Ferguson , Mrs. McClain , Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida , Ms. De La Cruz , Mr. Waltz , Mr. Smucker , Mr. McCormick , and Mr. Self ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce October 25, 2023 Additional sponsors: Mr. Guest , Mr. Owens , Mr. Rutherford , Mr. Lawler , Mr. Walberg , and Mr. Hudson October 25, 2023 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 5, 2023 A BILL To develop and disseminate a civic education curriculum and oral history resources regarding certain political ideologies, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Crucial Communism Teaching Act . 2. Purposes The purposes of this Act are the following: (1) To help families, civic institutions, local communities, local educational agencies, high schools, and State educational agencies to prepare high school students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults. (2) To ensure that high school students in the United States— (A) learn that communism has led to the deaths of over 100,000,000 victims worldwide; (B) understand the dangers of communism and similar political ideologies; and (C) understand that 1,500,000,000 people still suffer under communism. 3. Development and dissemination of civic education curriculum and oral history resources The independent entity created under section 905(b)(1)(B) of the FRIENDSHIP Act ( 40 U.S.C. 8903 note; 107 Stat. 2331 note), also known as the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation , shall— (1) develop a civic education curriculum for high school students that— (A) includes a comparative discussion of certain political ideologies, including communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the founding of the United States; (B) is accurate, relevant, and accessible, so as to promote the understanding of such political ideologies; and (C) is compatible with a variety of courses, including social studies, government, history, and economics classes; (2) develop oral history resources that may be used alongside the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and that include personal stories, titled Portraits in Patriotism , from diverse individuals who— (A) demonstrate civic-minded qualities; (B) are victims of the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A); and (C) are able to compare the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A) with the political ideology of the United States; and (3) engage with State and local educational leaders to assist high schools in using the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and the resources described in paragraph (2). 4. Definitions The terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ) shall apply to this Act.

October 25, 2023 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5349 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 5, 2023 Ms. Salazar (for herself, Ms. Stefanik , Mr. Diaz-Balart , Mr. Gimenez , Mrs. Spartz , Mr. Mooney , Mr. Bost , Mr. Duncan , Mr. Smith of New Jersey , Mr. Carter of Georgia , Mr. Crenshaw , Mr. LaMalfa , Mr. Sessions , Mrs. Hinson , Mr. Fitzgerald , Mrs. Miller-Meeks , Mr. Bilirakis , Mrs. Steel , Ms. Malliotakis , Mr. Valadao , Mr. Ferguson , Mrs. McClain , Mr. C. Scott Franklin of Florida , Ms. De La Cruz , Mr. Waltz , Mr. Smucker , Mr. McCormick , and Mr. Self ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To develop and disseminate a civic education curriculum and oral history resources regarding certain political ideologies, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Crucial Communism Teaching Act . 2. Purposes The purposes of this Act are the following: (1) To help families, civic institutions, local communities, local educational agencies, high schools, and State educational agencies to prepare high school students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults. (2) To ensure that high school students in the United States— (A) learn that communism has led to the deaths of over 100,000,000 victims worldwide; (B) understand the dangers of communism and similar political ideologies; and (C) understand that 1,500,000,000 people still suffer under communism. 3. Development and dissemination of civic education curriculum and oral history resources The independent entity created under section 905(b)(1)(B) of the FRIENDSHIP Act ( 40 U.S.C. 1003 note; 107 Stat. 2331 note), also known as the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation , shall— (1) develop a civic education curriculum for high school students that— (A) includes a comparative discussion of certain political ideologies, including communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the founding of the United States; (B) is accurate, relevant, and accessible, so as to promote the understanding of such political ideologies; and (C) is compatible with a variety of courses, including social studies, government, history, and economics classes; (2) develop oral history resources that may be used alongside the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and that include personal stories, titled Portraits in Patriotism , from diverse individuals who— (A) demonstrate civic-minded qualities; (B) are victims of the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A); and (C) are able to compare the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A) with the political ideology of the United States; and (3) engage with State and local educational leaders to assist high schools in using the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and the resources described in paragraph (2). 4. Definitions The terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ) shall apply to this Act.