Civics Learning Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8402 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8402 To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to increase civics education programs, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 21, 2026 Mr. Cleaver (for himself, Ms. Sewell, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Sanchez, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Casten, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Carson, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Keating, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Titus, Mr. Gottheimer, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Ross, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to increase civics education programs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Civics Learning Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) The dearth of civics lessons available to students across the United States has helped to foster a political climate that is deeply partisan and divided. (2) Polarization in the United States has fractured public morale in our democratic institutions and has created an environment in which people are less likely to be well-informed on the processes of our constitutional republic, the current state of affairs, and the importance of participating in the political process. (3) It is impossible to tell the true, full history of this Nation and recognize the power of our representative democracy without discussing the painful and powerful history of the civil rights movement. It is incum