Saving American History Act of 2021

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 2035 To prohibit Federal funds from being made available to teach the 1619 Project curriculum in elementary schools and secondary schools, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 10, 2021 Mr. COTTON (for himself, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BOOZMAN, Ms. LUMMIS, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. TUBERVILLE, and Mr. MCCONNELL) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To prohibit Federal funds from being made available to teach the 1619 Project curriculum in elementary schools and secondary schools, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Saving American His- 4 tory Act of 2021’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:05 Jun 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2035.IS S2035 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 2035 IS (1) The true date of America’s founding is July 1 4, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence 2 was adopted by the Second Continental Congress. 3 (2) The self-evident truths set forth by that 4 Declaration are the fundamental principles upon 5 which America was founded. 6 (3) An activist movement is now gaining mo- 7 mentum to deny or obfuscate this history by claim- 8 ing that America was not founded on the ideals of 9 the Declaration but rather on slavery and oppres- 10 sion. 11 (4) This distortion of American history is being 12 taught to children in public school classrooms via the 13 New York Times’ ‘‘1619 Project’’, which claims that 14 ‘‘nearly everything that has truly made America ex- 15 ceptional’’ grew ‘‘out of slavery’’. 16 (5) The 1619 Project is a racially divisive and 17 revisionist account of history that threatens the in- 18 tegrity of the Union by denying the true principles 19 on which it was founded. 20 (6) The Federal Government has a strong in- 21 terest in promoting an accurate account of the Na- 22 tion’s history through public schools and forming 23 young people into knowledgeable and patriotic citi- 24 zens. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:05 Jun 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2035.IS S2035 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 2035 IS SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS 1 TO TEACH THE 1619 PROJECT CURRICULUM. 2 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 3 (1) ESEA.—The terms ‘‘elementary school’’, 4 ‘‘local educational agency’’, and ‘‘secondary school’’ 5 have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 6 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 7 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 8 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 9 means the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of 10 Agriculture, the Secretary of Health and Human 11 Services, the Secretary of Defense, and the Sec- 12 retary of the Interior. 13 (b) PROHIBITION OF USE OF FEDERAL FUNDING 14 FOR 1619 PROJECT.—Notwithstanding any other provi- 15 sion of law, no Federal funds shall be used by any— 16 (1) elementary school or secondary school to 17 teach the 1619 Project initiative of the New York 18 Times in such school; or 19 (2) local educational agency to support the 20 teaching of the 1619 Project initiative of the New 21 York Times in the public schools served by such 22 agency. 23 (c) DETERMINATION OF COST AND REDUCTION IN 24 FEDERAL FUNDS.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:05 Jun 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2035.IS S2035 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 2035 IS (1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an elementary 1 school or secondary school that receives Federal 2 funds and teaches the 1619 Project initiative of the 3 New York Times in such school or a local edu- 4 cational agency that supports the teaching of the 5 1619 Project initiative of the New York Times in 6 the public schools served by such agency, the Secre- 7 taries shall determine the cost associated with teach- 8 ing the 1619 Project, including in planning time and 9 teaching time. 10 (2) REDUCTIONS.—The Secretaries, based on 11 coordinated prorated formulas established by the 12 Secretaries, shall reduce Federal funds provided to 13 an elementary school, secondary school, or local edu- 14 cational agency described in paragraph (1) in an 15 amount equal to the cost amount determined under 16 paragraph (1). 17 (3) NO REDUCTION FOR CERTAIN FUNDS.—In 18 reducing Federal funds to an elementary school, sec- 19 ondary school, or local educational agency under 20 paragraph (2), the Secretaries shall not reduce Fed- 21 eral funds for— 22 (A) the free and reduced price school lunch 23 program established under the Richard B. Rus- 24 sell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:05 Jun 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2035.IS S2035 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 2035 IS 1751 et seq.), or any other program for low-in- 1 come students; or 2 (B) students with disabilities. 3 (d) FUTURE FUNDING.—The Secretaries shall pro- 4 mulgate regulations to ensure that Federal funds provided 5 after the date of enactment of this Act to an elementary 6 school, secondary school, or local educational agency com- 7 ply with the requirements and restrictions provided under 8 this Act. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:05 Jun 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S2035.IS S2035 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS