HR 1814 — Civics Secures Democracy Act of 2021

(a) Grants authorized From the amounts appropriated under subsection (f), the Secretary is authorized to award three-year grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions to establish or strengthen postsecondary academic programs or centers that promote and impart knowledge of— (1) traditional American history; (2) the history and nature of, and threats to, free institutions; or (3) the history and achievements of Western civilization. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Eligible institution The term “eligible institution” means an institution of higher education as defined in section 1001 of this title. (2) Free institution The term “free institution” means an institution that emerged out of Western civilization, such as democracy, constitutional government, individual rights, market economics, religious freedom and religious tolerance, and freedom of thought and inquiry. (3) Traditional American history The term “traditional American history” means— (A) the significant constitutional, political, intellectual, economic, and foreign policy trends and issues that have shaped the course of American history; and (B) the key episodes, turning points, and leading figures involved in the constitutional, political, intellectual, diplomatic, and economic history of the United States. (c) Application (1) In general Each eligible institution that desires a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. (2) Contents Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include a description of— (A) how funds made available under this section will be used for the activities set forth under subsection (e), including how such activities will increase knowledge with respect to traditional American history, free institutions, or Western civilization; (B) how the eligible institution will ensure that information about the activities funded under this section is widely disseminated pursuant to subsection (e)(1)(B); (C) any activities to be undertaken pursuant to subsection (e)(2)(A), including identification of entities intended to participate; (D) how funds made available under this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant non-Federal funds available for the activities described in subsection (e); and (E) such fiscal controls and accounting procedures as may be necessary to ensure proper disbursement of and accounting for funding made available to the eligible institution under this section. (d) Award basis In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall take into consideration the capability of the eligible institution to— (1) increase access to quality programming that expands knowledge of traditional American history, free institutions, or Western civilization; (2) involve personnel with strong expertise in traditional American history, free institutions, or Western civilization; and (3) sustain the activities funded under this section after the grant has expired. (e) Use of funds (1) Required use of funds Funds provided under this section shall be used to— (A) establish or strengthen academic programs or centers focused on traditional American history, free institutions, or Western civilization, which may include— (i) design and implementation of programs of study, courses, lecture series, seminars, and symposia; (ii) development, publication, and dissemination of instructional materials; (iii) research; (iv) support for faculty teaching in undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate programs; (v) support for graduate and postgraduate fellowships, if applicable; or (vi) teacher preparation initiatives that stress content mastery regarding traditional American history, free institutions, or Western civilization; and (B) conduct outreach activities to ensure that information about the activities funded under this section is widely disseminated— (i) to undergraduate students (including ...

(a) Establishment There shall be established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund consisting of appropriations and amounts contributed by the Foundation for the Commemoration of the Constitution and other private sources to be available, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, to carry out the provisions of this chapter. (b) Investment of amounts appropriated (1) At the request of the Trust Fund, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to invest in full the amounts appropriated and contributed to the fund. Such investments may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of the United States issued directly to the fund. (2) The purposes for which obligations of the United States may be issued under chapter 31 of title 31 are hereby extended to authorize the issuance at par of special obligations directly to the fund. Such special obligations shall bear interest at a rate equal to the average rate of interest, computed as to the end of the calendar month next preceding the date of such issue, borne by all marketable interest-bearing obligations of the United States then forming a part of the public debt; except that where such average rate is not a multiple of one-eighth of 1 per centum, the rate of interest of such special obligations shall be the multiple of one-eighth of 1 per centum next lower than such average rate. All requests of the Trust Fund to the Secretary of the Treasury provided for in this section shall be binding upon the Secretary. (c) Sale of obligations acquired by fund At the request of the Trust Fund, the Secretary of the Treasury shall redeem any obligation issued directly to the fund. Obligations issued to the fund under subsection (b)(2) shall be redeemed at par plus accrued interest. Any other obligations issued directly to the fund shall be redeemed at the market price. (d) Interest and proceeds from sale or redemption of obligations credited to fund The interest on, and the proceeds from, the sale or redemption of any obligations held in the fund shall be credited to and form a part of the fund.

(a) Establishment The Commissioner for Education Statistics shall, with the advice of the Assessment Board established under section 9621 of this title, carry out, through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with one or more qualified organizations, or consortia thereof, a National Assessment of Educational Progress, which collectively refers to a national assessment, State assessments, and a long-term trend assessment in reading and mathematics. (b) Purpose; State assessments (1) Purpose The purpose of this section is to provide, in a timely manner, a fair and accurate measurement of student academic achievement and reporting of trends in such achievement in reading, mathematics, and other subject matter as specified in this section. (2) Measurement and reporting The Commissioner for Education Statistics, in carrying out the measurement and reporting described in paragraph (1), shall— (A) use a random sampling process which is consistent with relevant, widely accepted professional assessment standards and that produces data that are representative on a national and regional basis; (B) conduct a national assessment and collect and report assessment data, including achievement data trends, in a valid and reliable manner on student academic achievement in public and private elementary schools and secondary schools at least once every 2 years, in grades 4 and 8 in reading and mathematics; (C) conduct a national assessment and collect and report assessment data, including achievement data trends, in a valid and reliable manner on student academic achievement in public and private schools in reading and mathematics in grade 12 in regularly scheduled intervals, but at least as often as such assessments were conducted prior to January 8, 2002; (D) to the extent time and resources allow, and after the requirements described in subparagraph (B) are implemented and the requirements described in subparagraph (C) are met, conduct additional national assessments and collect and report assessment data, including achievement data trends, in a valid and reliable manner on student academic achievement in grades 4, 8, and 12 in public and private elementary schools and secondary schools in regularly scheduled intervals in additional subject matter, including writing, science, history, geography, civics, economics, foreign languages, and arts, and the trend assessment described in subparagraph (F); (E) conduct the reading and mathematics assessments described in subparagraph (B) in the same year, and every other year thereafter, to provide for 1 year in which no such assessments are conducted in between each administration of such assessments; (F) continue to conduct the trend assessment of academic achievement at ages 9, 13, and 17 for the purpose of maintaining data on long-term trends in reading and mathematics; (G) include information on special groups, including, whenever feasible, information collected, cross tabulated, compared, and reported by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability and limited English proficiency; and (H) ensure that achievement data are made available on a timely basis following official reporting, in a manner that facilitates further analysis and that includes trend lines. (3) State assessments (A) In general The Commissioner for Education Statistics— (i) shall conduct biennial State academic assessments of student achievement in reading and mathematics in grades 4 and 8 as described in paragraphs (2)(B) and (2)(E); (ii) may conduct the State academic assessments of student achievement in reading and mathematics in grade 12 as described in paragraph (2)(C); (iii) may conduct State academic assessments of student achievement in grades 4, 8, and 12 as described in paragraph (2)(D); and (iv) shall conduct each such State assessment, in each subject area and at each grade level, on a developmental basis until the Commissioner for Education Statistics determines, as the result of an evaluation...