Civics Secures Democracy Act

Civics Secures Democracy Act

This bill provides resources to expand educational programs in American civics and history, including by establishing grant and fellowship programs, reauthorizing various programs, and creating the Civics Secures Democracy Fund.

First, the bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to states, qualified nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education (IHEs), and qualified researchers to support and expand access to civics and history education.

Next, the bill establishes a fellowship program to diversify the civics and history education workforce.

In addition, the bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and revises the American History for Freedom grant program. The bill renames the program as the American Civics and History Education Program.

The bill revises the grant program to authorize ED to award grants to IHEs at least once every three years to establish or strengthen academic programs to promote American political thought and history and the history, achievements, and impact of American representative democracy and constitutional democracies globally. IHEs may use grants to support additional activities, such as collaborating with federal or state humanities programs and using open educational resources.

Further, the bill revises the Harry S. Truman Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund and the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Trust Fund.

The bill requires the National Assessment of Educational Progress in civics and history to be administered every two years to certain grade levels.

The bill also establishes the Civics Secures Democracy Fund, through which funds shall be made available to carry out provisions of the bill. The bill transfers certain unobligated COVID relief funds to the fund.