HR 3765, the FALCONS Act, prohibits federal funding for curricula or training at five U.S. service academies based on critical race theory, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The bill directly affects the U.S. Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and Merchant Marine Academy by banning the use of federal funds for such educational content. Its key mechanism is a funding restriction, preventing the use of federal money to develop or implement programs related to these concepts at the specified institutions. The law focuses solely on restricting federal funding for specific educational approaches, without altering academy admissions or academic standards.
This bill prohibits federal funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act for any program, activity, literature, or material provided to children under 18 that includes "sexually oriented material," defined as depictions of explicit conduct or content involving gender dysphoria or transgenderism. It exempts standard science courses (like biology and anatomy), religious texts, and specific "classic" works of literature and art listed in designated references (e.g., *Great Books of the Western World* and Smarthistory guides). The law directly affects federally funded K-12 educational programs, restricting how school districts can use federal dollars for curriculum materials. It does not ban teaching about human anatomy, art history, or literature, as those are explicitly excluded from the definition of prohibited material.
HR 2616, the PROTECT Kids Act, requires public elementary and middle schools receiving federal education funding to obtain parental consent before changing a student's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on school forms, or before assigning them to sex-based accommodations like locker rooms or bathrooms. The bill directly affects minor students in elementary school or middle grades (ages typically 5-14). Schools must secure this consent as a condition for maintaining federal funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The law focuses on specific administrative changes to student records and facility assignments, not broader educational content or curriculum.
S 227, the PEACE Act of 2025, prohibits the use of federal education funds for curriculum, teaching, or counseling that promotes or compels specific "divisive concepts" related to race. It directly affects schools receiving federal funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act by banning the use of those funds for materials teaching ideas like "one race is inherently superior," that "the United States is fundamentally racist," or that individuals bear responsibility for past racial actions based solely on their race. The bill defines prohibited concepts to include race stereotyping (assigning traits to races), race scapegoating (blaming a race for problems), and claims that meritocracy is racist. This amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would require schools to avoid these specific topics when using federal education funds. The law focuses on restricting the use of federal money for certain instructional content, not on banning all discussions of race or history.
This bill mandates that high schools in the U.S. teach students about communism's historical impact, requiring them to learn that communism caused over 100 million deaths globally and that 1.5 billion people still live under it. The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (a specific entity) must develop a required high school curriculum and oral history resources called "Portraits in Patriotism," featuring personal stories from individuals affected by communism. The curriculum must be used in social studies, government, history, and economics classes to compare communism with U.S. democratic principles. It directly affects high school students and educators by requiring specific content in their civic education.
This bill codifies Executive Order 14190, titled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," making it legally binding law. It directly affects K-12 public schools and educators by requiring compliance with the order's provisions as a permanent legal standard. The key mechanism is converting the executive order - which targets specific curriculum content and teaching methods - into federal law, removing it from executive discretion. This procedural bill does not create new policies but enshrines the existing order's requirements into statute.
HR 2080, the "Crucial Communism Teaching Act," requires high schools to teach students about communism's historical and current impacts. The bill mandates that students learn communism caused over 100 million deaths globally, understand its dangers, and recognize that 1.5 billion people "still suffer under communism." It directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a high school curriculum and oral history resources ("Portraits in Patriotism") featuring victim stories, with specific focus on modern examples like Xinjiang human rights abuses and China's actions in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The curriculum must be integrated into social studies, government, history, and economics classes, and updated to cover both historical and current communist regimes.
HR 2617, the "Say No to Indoctrination Act," amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to prohibit public K-12 schools receiving federal funds from teaching "concepts related to gender ideology" as defined in Executive Order 14168. The bill adds this specific restriction to Section 8526 of the ESEA, directly affecting curriculum content in federally funded schools. This policy change would require schools to avoid instructional materials or lessons addressing gender identity concepts as defined by the referenced executive order.
