Saving American History Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3810 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 11, 2021 Mr. BUCK (for himself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. TIFFANY, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. BROOKS, Mr. GOOD of Virginia, Mr. BIGGS, Mrs. LESKO, Mr. ROY, Mr. PERRY, Mr. BUDD, Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina, Mr. RICE of South Carolina, and Mr. STEUBE) introduced the following bill; which was re- ferred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently deter- mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 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 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:22 Jun 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3810.IH H3810 lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3810 IH SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 Congress finds the following: 2 (1) The true date of America’s founding is July 3 4, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence 4 was adopted by the Second Continental Congress. 5 (2) The self-evident truths set forth by that 6 Declaration are the fundamental principles upon 7 which America was founded. 8 (3) An activist movement is now gaining mo- 9 mentum to deny or obfuscate this history by claim- 10 ing that America was not founded on the ideals of 11 the Declaration but rather on slavery and oppres- 12 sion. 13 (4) This distortion of American history is being 14 taught to children in public school classrooms via the 15 New York Times’ ‘‘1619 Project’’, which claims that 16 ‘‘nearly everything that has truly made America ex- 17 ceptional’’ grew ‘‘out of slavery’’. 18 (5) The 1619 Project is a racially divisive and 19 revisionist account of history that threatens the in- 20 tegrity of the Union by denying the true principles 21 on which it was founded. 22 (6) The Federal Government has a strong in- 23 terest in promoting an accurate account of the Na- 24 tion’s history through public schools and forming 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:22 Jun 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3810.IH H3810 lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3810 IH young people into knowledgeable and patriotic citi- 1 zens. 2 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS 3 TO TEACH THE 1619 PROJECT CURRICULUM. 4 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 5 (1) ESEA.—The terms ‘‘elementary school’’, 6 ‘‘local educational agency’’, and ‘‘secondary school’’ 7 have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 8 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 9 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 10 (2) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 11 means the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of 12 Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary 13 of State, and the Secretary of Health and Human 14 Services. 15 (b) PROHIBITION OF USE OF FEDERAL FUNDING 16 FOR 1619 PROJECT.—Notwithstanding any other provi- 17 sion of law, no Federal funds shall be used by any— 18 (1) elementary school or secondary school to 19 teach the 1619 Project initiative of the New York 20 Times in such school; or 21 (2) local educational agency to support the 22 teaching of the 1619 Project initiative of the New 23 York Times in the public schools served by such 24 agency. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:22 Jun 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3810.IH H3810 lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3810 IH (c) DETERMINATION OF COST AND REDUCTION IN 1 FEDERAL FUNDS.— 2 (1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an elementary 3 school or secondary school that receives Federal 4 funds and teaches the 1619 Project initiative of the 5 New York Times in such school or a local edu- 6 cational agency that supports the teaching of the 7 1619 Project initiative of the New York Times in 8 the public schools served by such agency, the Secre- 9 taries shall determine the cost associated with teach- 10 ing the 1619 Project, including in planning time and 11 teaching time. 12 (2) REDUCTIONS.—The Secretaries, based on 13 coordinated prorated formulas established by the 14 Secretaries, shall reduce Federal funds provided to 15 an elementary school, secondary school, or local edu- 16 cational agency described in paragraph (1) in an 17 amount equal to the cost amount determined under 18 paragraph (1). 19 (3) NO REDUCTION FOR CERTAIN FUNDS.—In 20 reducing Federal funds to an elementary school, sec- 21 ondary school, or local educational agency under 22 paragraph (2), the Secretaries shall not reduce Fed- 23 eral funds for— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:22 Jun 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3810.IH H3810 lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3810 IH (A) the free and reduced price school lunch 1 program established under the Richard B. Rus- 2 sell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 3 1751 et seq.), or any other program for low-in- 4 come students; or 5 (B) students with disabilities. 6 (d) FUTURE FUNDING.—The Secretaries shall pro- 7 mulgate regulations to ensure that Federal funds provided 8 after the date of enactment of this Act to an elementary 9 school, secondary school, or local educational agency com- 10 ply with the requirements and restrictions provided under 11 this Act. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:22 Jun 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3810.IH H3810 lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS