What This Bill Does
This bill prevents schools from receiving federal money if they teach certain race-based theories to students. It applies to both K-12 schools and colleges. The bill also prevents schools from forcing teachers or students to adopt beliefs that would violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin).
Who It Affects
Elementary schools, secondary schools (middle and high schools), colleges and universities, state educational agencies, local educational agencies, teachers, and students.
Key Provisions
* Schools cannot use federal funds if they promote theories that any race is superior or inferior to another race, color, or national origin (Sec. 2(c)(1)).
* Schools cannot use federal funds if they teach that the United States is fundamentally racist or that the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are fundamentally racist documents (Sec. 2(c)(2) and (3)).
* Schools cannot use federal funds if they teach that a person's moral character or worth is determined by their race, color, or national origin (Sec. 2(c)(4)).
* Schools cannot use federal funds if they teach that individuals are inherently racist based on their race, or that individuals must take responsibility for actions of other members of their race (Sec. 2(c)(5) and (6)).
* Schools can still teach these theories in educational contexts if they make clear the school does not approve of or support these theories (Sec. 2(d)(3)).
What Changes
State and local educational agencies must stop allocating federal funds to schools that promote the prohibited race-based theories or force belief adoption. Colleges and universities cannot receive federal funds if they promote these theories. Schools can still assign materials about these theories for research or independent study.
Important Definitions
The bill defines "promote" as: including these theories in curricula, reading lists, seminars, workshops, or trainings in a way that could appear to have official school support; hiring speakers or consultants to advocate these theories; forcing students to profess belief in these theories; or separating students by race in educational settings.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 570
To prohibit the award of Federal funds to schools that promote certain
race-based theories to students, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 26, 2023
Mr. ROY (for himself, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. SESSIONS, Ms. GREENE of Georgia,
Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, and Mr. MOONEY) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce
A BILL
To prohibit the award of Federal funds to schools that pro-
mote certain race-based theories to students, 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,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Combating Racist
4
Teaching in Schools Act’’ or the ‘‘CRT Act’’.
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON AWARD OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO
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CERTAIN SCHOOLS.
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(a) PROHIBITION ON AWARD OF FUNDS TO CERTAIN
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ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS.—No Federal
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•HR 570 IH
funds received by a State or local educational agency may
1
be allocated to an elementary or secondary school that pro-
2
motes the race-based theories described in subsection (c)
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or compels teachers or students to affirm, adhere to,
4
adopt, or process beliefs in a manner that violates title
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VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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(b) PROHIBITION ON AWARD OF FUNDS TO CERTAIN
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INSTITUTIONS
OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—No Federal
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funds may be awarded to an institution of higher edu-
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cation if such institution promotes the race-based theories
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described in subsection (c) or compels teachers or students
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to affirm, adhere to, adopt, or process beliefs in a manner
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that violates title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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(c) RACE-BASED THEORIES DESCRIBED.—The race-
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based theories described in this subsection are the fol-
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lowing:
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(1) Any race is inherently superior or inferior
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to any other race, color, or national origin.
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(2) The United States is a fundamentally racist
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country.
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(3) The Declaration of Independence or Con-
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stitution of the United States are fundamentally rac-
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ist documents.
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•HR 570 IH
(4) An individual’s moral character or worth is
1
determined by the individual’s race, color, or na-
2
tional origin.
3
(5) An individual, by virtue of the individual’s
4
race, is inherently racist or oppressive, whether con-
5
sciously or unconsciously.
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(6) An individual, because of the individual’s
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race, bears responsibility for the actions committed
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by other members of the individual’s race, color, or
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national origin.
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(d) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—
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(1) PROTECTED SPEECH NOT RESTRICTED.—
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Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict
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the speech of a student, teacher, or any other indi-
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vidual outside of a school setting.
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(2) ACCESS TO MATERIALS FOR THE PURPOSE
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OF RESEARCH OR INDEPENDENT STUDY.—Nothing
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in this section shall be construed to prevent an indi-
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vidual from accessing materials that advocate theo-
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ries described in subsection (c) for the purpose of re-
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search or independent study.
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(3) CONTEXTUAL EDUCATION.—Nothing in this
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section shall be construed to prevent a covered
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school from stating theories described in subsection
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(c) or assigning materials that advocate such theo-
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•HR 570 IH
ries for educational purposes in contexts that make
1
it clear the school does not sponsor, approve, or en-
2
dorse such theories or materials.
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(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) COVERED
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘covered
5
school’’ means an elementary school, a secondary
6
school, or an institution of higher education.
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(2) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘elementary
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school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘secondary
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school’’, and ‘‘State’’ have the meanings given those
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terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
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ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
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(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
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term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the
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meaning given that term in section 102 of the High-
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er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002).
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(4) PROMOTE.—The term ‘‘promote’’, when
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used with respect to a race-based theory described in
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subsection (c), means—
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(A) to include such theories or materials
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that advocate such theories in curricula, read-
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ing lists, seminars, workshops, trainings, or
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other educational or professional settings in a
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manner that could reasonably give rise to the
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•HR 570 IH
appearance of official sponsorship, approval, or
1
endorsement;
2
(B) to contract with, hire, or otherwise en-
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gage speakers, consultants, diversity trainers,
4
and other persons for the purpose of advocating
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such theories;
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(C) to compel students to profess a belief
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in such theories; or
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(D) to segregate students or other individ-
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uals by race in any setting, including in edu-
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cational or training sessions.
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Æ
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