A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the Strengthening Civics Education Act. It gives the Secretary of Education the power to make grants to support educational programs in civics and history. The bill encourages participation in the National Assessment of Educational Progress assessments for civics and history in certain grades. It amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to update programs related to civics and history education. The bill also requires the creation of a publicly available website called the America250 Civics Clearinghouse. Nothing in the bill allows the government to control local school content or prescribe a specific curriculum.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +6
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill establishes a centralized public website listing federal civics scholarships and fellowships, making government resources easier for the public to find.
- Scored +6
Does this put more money into public schools?
The bill authorizes grants and funding to support educational programs in civics and history for schools and local educational agencies.
- Scored +5
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill explicitly protects state and local control by ensuring that nothing in the Act supersedes local authority over civics or history curricula.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Support for Educational Programs: Section 2 and Section 4 support schools and local educational agencies in offering engaging curricula and programs in civics and history, which helps students understand American government and democratic practices.
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Public Resource Website: Section 5 creates the America250 Civics Clearinghouse, which is a publicly available website listing federal scholarship and fellowship opportunities for students and teachers related to civics.
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Protection of Local Control: Section 2 explicitly states that nothing in the Act shall supersede or preempt State or local control over the content, standards, or instruction in civics or history education, keeping decisions close to the people.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Assessment Requirements: Section 3 requires the national assessment to conduct biennial State academic assessments of student achievement in civics and history in grades 4, 8, and 12, which could place additional testing burdens on students and schools.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill establishes a centralized public website listing federal civics scholarships and fellowships, making government resources easier for the public to find. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill explicitly protects state and local control by ensuring that nothing in the Act supersedes local authority over civics or history curricula.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill supports engaging civics and history curricula to help students better understand American government and democratic practices. Would students be better off under this? — Students benefit from enhanced civics educational programs and access to a clearinghouse of federal scholarships and fellowships.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — The bill authorizes grants and funding to support educational programs in civics and history for schools and local educational agencies. Does this get reliable internet to more people? — The bill mandates the creation of a publicly available website, the America250 Civics Clearinghouse, providing digital access to federal scholarship and fellowship opportunities.
- 11/10/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 9/30/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
John CornynRepublican · Texas
Angus KingIndependent · Maine
James LankfordRepublican · Oklahoma