Commission on American Civics Education Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8797 To establish a Congressional Commission on Civics Education, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 20, 2020 Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. CARSON of In- diana, Mr. BEYER, Ms. WILD, Ms. MENG, Mr. SUOZZI, and Mr. RASKIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To establish a Congressional Commission on Civics Education, 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 ‘‘Commission on Amer- 4 ican Civics Education Act of 2020’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8797 IH SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION ON CIVICS EDU- 1 CATION. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is established the Congres- 3 sional Commission on Civics Education (referred to in this 4 Act as the ‘‘Commission’’). 5 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be 7 composed of 10 members, of whom: 8 (A) Five shall be appointed by the Speaker 9 of the House and the House Minority Leader, 10 in consultation with the Chair and Ranking 11 Member of the House Committee on Education 12 and Labor. 13 (B) Five shall be appointed by the Senate 14 Majority Leader and Senate Minority Leader, 15 in consultation with the Chair and Ranking 16 Member of the Senate Committee on Health, 17 Education, Labor, and Pensions. 18 (2) EXPERTISE OF MEMBERS.—Members ap- 19 pointed under paragraph (1) shall represent entities 20 or professions having to do with civic knowledge and 21 education, including— 22 (A) elementary and secondary schools; 23 (B) institutions of higher education; 24 (C) State educational agencies; 25 (D) local educational agencies; 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8797 IH (E) Federal, State, or local government; 1 (F) journalism; and 2 (G) nonprofit providers of civic education. 3 (3) LIMITATIONS.—Members appointed under 4 paragraph (1) may not be— 5 (A) at any time during such appointment, 6 a Member of Congress; or 7 (B) individuals who have made political 8 contributions of any amount to any appointing 9 Congressional officials at any time. 10 (4) COMMISSION CHAIRS.—From the members 11 appointed under paragraph (1), the Commission 12 shall be co-chaired by— 13 (A) 1 member selected by the appointing 14 Congressional officials belonging to the majority 15 party; and 16 (B) 1 member selected by the appointing 17 Congressional officials belonging to the minority 18 party. 19 (5) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member shall 20 receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 21 subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions 22 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 23 States Code. 24 (c) STAFF OF COMMISSION.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8797 IH (1) DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall have a 1 Director who shall be appointed by the co-chairs. 2 (2) STAFF.—To the extent or in the amounts 3 provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Di- 4 rector, in coordination with the co-chairs, may ap- 5 point and fix the pay of additional personnel as the 6 Commission considers appropriate. 7 (3) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Com- 8 mission may procure temporary and intermittent 9 services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 10 States Code. 11 (d) DUTIES.—The Commission shall: 12 (1) Examine existing civics education programs 13 in each State. 14 (2) Solicit the views of educators, school admin- 15 istrators, and other State and local education offi- 16 cials, including through— 17 (A) direct contact and engagement; 18 (B) field hearings; 19 (C) roundtable discussions; and 20 (D) focus groups. 21 (3) Submit the report required under subsection 22 (f). 23 (e) POWERS.— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 8797 IH (1) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for pur- 1 poses of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and 2 act at times and places, take testimony, and receive 3 evidence as the Commission considers appropriate. 4 (2) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commis- 5 sion may secure directly from any department or 6 agency of the Unites States information necessary to 7 enable it to carry out this Act. 8 (3) GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DEVISES.—The 9 Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts, 10 bequests, or devises of services or property, both real 11 and personal, in a manner that does not affect the 12 findings of the Commission. 13 (4) MAILS.—The Commission may use the 14 United States mails in the same manner and under 15 the same conditions as other departments and agen- 16 cies of the United States. 17 (5) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.— 18 Upon the request of the Commission, the Adminis- 19 trator of General Services shall provide to the Com- 20 mission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative 21 support services necessary for the Commission to 22 carry out the responsibilities of the Commission 23 under this Act. 24 (f) REPORT.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 8797 IH (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 1 after the date of the first meeting of the Commis- 2 sion, the Commission shall submit a report to Con- 3 gress that contains the following: 4 (A) A description of each State that exhib- 5 its— 6 (i) high levels of success in civic edu- 7 cation and civic learning; 8 (ii) moderate levels of success in civic 9 education and civic learning; and 10 (iii) low levels of success in civic edu- 11 cation and civic learning. 12 (B) A determination with respect to exist- 13 ing State civic education programs that may be 14 used as national models in all States. 15 (C) Recommendations to the Secretary of 16 Education with respect to issuing guidance on 17 civics education to States. 18 (D) A recommendation as to how the Sec- 19 retary should dedicate Department funds and 20 resources to promoting civics education, includ- 21 ing with respect to establishing an office dedi- 22 cated to civics education. 23 (2) BRIEFING.—Upon submission of the report 24 described in paragraph (1), the Commission shall 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 8797 IH brief, with respect to the contents of such report, the 1 following individuals: 2 (A) Appointing Congressional officials. 3 (B) Members of the House Committee on 4 Education and Labor. 5 (C) Members of the Senate Committee on 6 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 7 (D) The Secretary. 8 (3) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 90 days 9 after the date on which the briefing required under 10 paragraph (2) occurs, the Secretary shall make the 11 report described in paragraph (1) publicly available 12 on the website of the Department of Education. 13 (g) MONTHLY EXPENSE REPORTS.— 14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall sub- 15 mit to the Chief Administrator of the House of Rep- 16 resentatives a detailed monthly expense report for 17 each month in accordance with paragraph (2). 18 (2) TIMING.—With respect to a month, a report 19 required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted 20 during the period beginning on the first day of such 21 month and ending on the day that is 15 days after 22 the last day of such month. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 8797 IH (h) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This Act shall take effect on 1 the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment 2 of this Act. 3 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 5 appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry 6 out this section. 7 (2) ADDITIONAL USES.—In addition to carrying 8 out the activities described in this section, the Com- 9 mission may use the funds appropriated under para- 10 graph (1) for— 11 (A) office supplies; 12 (B) necessary electronic equipment, includ- 13 ing— 14 (i) computers; 15 (ii) printers; and 16 (iii) telecommunications equipment; 17 and 18 (C) maintenance costs, including— 19 (i) technical support; and 20 (ii) equipment repair. 21 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 22 (1) APPOINTING CONGRESSIONAL OFFICIAL.— 23 The term ‘‘appointing Congressional official’’ 24 means— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 8797 IH (A) the Speaker of the House; 1 (B) the House Minority Leader; 2 (C) the Senate Majority Leader; and 3 (D) the Senate Minority Leader. 4 (2) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘Department’’, 5 ‘‘elementary school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, 6 ‘‘secondary school’’, ‘‘Secretary’’, ‘‘State’’, and 7 ‘‘State educational agency’’ have the meanings given 8 such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and 9 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 10 (3) NONPROFIT PROVIDER OF CIVIC EDU- 11 CATION.—The term ‘‘nonprofit provider of civic edu- 12 cation’’ means an organization that focuses on sup- 13 porting and strengthening civics education pro- 14 grams. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:09 Nov 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8797.IH H8797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS