,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #djeg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #aa1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,kim introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,health1           
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to establish a congressional   
commission on ,american civics renewal1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,american ,civics ,renewal ,act4  #b4   
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,esea 
definitions ,the terms elementary       
school1 local educational agency1       
secondary school1 and ,state educational
 agency have the meanings given the     
terms in section #haja of the           
,elementary and ,secondary ,education   
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74    
7#b7 ,commission ,the term ,commission  
means the ,commission on ,american      
,civics ,renewal established under      
section #c7;a74  #c4 ,establishment of  
congressional commission on ,american   

civics renewal  7a7 ,establishment      
,there is established a congressional   
commission1 to be known as the          
,commission on ,american ,civics        
,renewal1 tasked with identifying ways  
that the ,federal ,government can       
strengthen its support for civics       
education4  7b7 ,membership  7#a7 ,in   
general ,the ,commission shall consist  
of #h members1 with #a member being     
appointed by each of the following      
individuals3 7,a7 ,the ,majority ,leader
 and the ,minority ,leader of the       
,senate4  7,b7 ,the chairman and ranking
 member of the ,committee on ,health1   
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the
 ,senate4  7,c7 ,the ,speaker and the   
,minority ,leader of the ,house of      
,representatives4  7,d7 ,the chair and  
ranking member of the ,committee on     
,education and ,workforce of the ,house 
of ,representatives4  7#b7 ,date ,the   
appointments of the members of the      
,commission shall be made not later than
 #fj days after the date of enactment of

 this ,act4  7c7 ,chairperson and ,vice 
,chairperson ,the ,commission shall     
select a ,chairperson and ,vice         
,chairperson from among the members of  
the ,commission at the initial meeting  
of the ,commission4  7d7 ,period of     
appointment2 vacancies  7#a7 ,period of 
appointment ,a member of the ,commission
 shall be appointed for the life of the 
,commission4  7#b7 ,vacancies ,a vacancy
 in the ,commission-- 7,a7 shall not    
affect the powers of the ,commission2   
and  7,b7 shall be filled in the same   
manner as the original appointment4  7e7
 ,meetings  7#a7 ,initial meeting ,not  
later than #cj days after the date on   
which all members of the ,commission    
have been appointed1 the ,commission    
shall hold the first meeting of the     
,commission4  7#b7 ,frequency ,the      
,commission shall meet at the call of   
the ,chairperson4  7#c7 ,quorum ,a      
majority of the members of the          
,commission shall constitute a quorum1  
but a lesser number of members may hold 

hearings4  #d4 ,duties of ,commission   
7a7 ,in general ,the ,commission shall--
 7#a7 conduct a comprehensive review of 
the current state of civics education1  
as of the date of the review1 across    
elementary and secondary education1     
higher education1 and adult learning2   
7#b7 evaluate existing1 as of the date  
of the review1 ,federal programs and    
funding streams that support civics     
education and recommend ways to         
streamline1 coordinate1 or scale these  
programs to ensure efficiency and       
equitable access2  7#c7 assess teacher  
preparation programs and ongoing        
professional development opportunities  
for civics and government instruction2  
7#d7 collect best practices regarding   
teaching and supporting civics          
education2  7#e7 provide guidance on how
 ,federal investment can leverage       
philanthropic1 ,state1 or local         
resources to avoid imposing an unfunded 
mandate on ,state educational agencies  
or local educational agencies2 and  7#f7

 propose strategies to elevate civics   
education as a national priority1 in    
accordance with subsection 7c74  7b7    
,stakeholder engagement ,in carrying out
 the duties under subsection 7a71 the   
,commission shall engage with-- 7#a7    
public ,federal entities1 such as the   
,national ,archives and ,records        
,administration1 the ,national          
,endowment for the ,humanities1 the     
,institute for ,museum and ,library     
,services1 the ,library of ,congress1   
the ,department of ,education1 the      
,corporation for ,national and          
,community ,service1 and the ,james     
,madison ,fellowship ,foundation2  7#b7 
,state and local education leaders who  
have advanced civics learning and       
understanding for educators and         
students2 and  7#c7 nonpartisan         
organizations described in section      
#eja7;c77#c7 of the ,internal ,revenue  
,code of #aihf and exempt from tax under
 section #eja7;a7 of such ,code1 that   
have advanced civics learning and       

understanding for educators and         
students1 such as the ,united ,states   
,capitol ,historical ,society4  7c7     
,proposed curriculum and national       
strategy ,after carrying out the        
activities described in paragraphs 7#a7 
through 7#e7 of subsection 7a71 the     
,commission shall-- 7#a7 develop a      
proposed age-appropriate civics         
education curriculum for elementary     
school students1 secondary school       
students1 and postsecondary education   
students that-- 7,a7 promotes the       
political thought and history of the    
,united ,states along with the impact of
 the representative democracy of the    
,united ,states and constitutional      
democracies globally2  7,b7 describes   
how the ,federal ,government was founded
 on the principles of a representative  
democracy1 constitutional government1   
individual rights1 market economics1    
religious freedom and tolerance1 and    
freedom of thought and inquiry2  7,c7   
demonstrates the importance of students 

developing civic-minded engagement2 and 
7,d7 provides examples of how lessons   
can be taught beyond traditional        
classroom instruction and incorporated  
into subjects other than history or     
civics2 and  7#b7 by not later than #b  
years after the date of the first       
meeting of the ,commission1 publish a   
national strategy document that         
contains-- 7,a7 examples of how ,state  
educational agencies1 local educational 
agencies1 and schools can partner with  
relevant ,federal partners and nonprofit
 organizations1 including entities and  
organizations described in subsection   
7b72 and  7,b7 recommendations on how   
,state and local education leaders can  
implement the curriculum described in   
paragraph 7#a74  7d7 ,submission of     
curriculum and strategy ,by not later   
than #ae months after the date of the   
first meeting of the ,commission1 the   
,commission shall submit the proposed   
civics education curriculum and the     
national strategy described in          

subsection 7c7 to-- 7#a7 the ,committee 
on ,education and ,workforce of the     
,house of ,representatives2  7#b7 the   
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate2   
7#c7 the ,secretary of ,education2 and  
7#d7 the ,archivist of the ,united      
,states4  7e7 ,duties of ,secretary of  
,education ,not later than #cj days     
after receiving the proposed civics     
education curriculum and the national   
strategy described in subsection 7c71   
the ,secretary of ,education shall--    
7#a7 inform all ,state educational      
agencies of the availability of the     
curriculum and national strategy2 and   
7#b7 provide a method1 through a website
 or other easily accessible means1 for  
the ,state educational agencies to      
access the curriculum and national      
strategy4  #e4 ,powers of ,commission   
7a7 ,hearings ,the ,commission may hold 
such hearings1 sit and act at such times
 and places1 take such testimony1 and   
receive such evidence as the ,commission

 considers advisable to carry out this  
,act4  7b7 ,information from ,federal   
agencies  7#a7 ,in general ,the         
,commission may secure directly from a  
,federal department or agency such      
information as the ,commission considers
 necessary to carry out this ,act4  7#b7
 ,furnishing information ,on request of 
the ,chairperson of the ,commission1 the
 head of the department or agency shall 
furnish the information to the          
,commission4  7c7 ,postal services ,the 
,commission may use the ,united ,states 
mails in the same manner and under the  
same conditions as other departments and
 agencies of the ,federal ,government4  
7d7 ,gifts ,the ,commission may accept1 
use1 and dispose of gifts or donations  
of services or property4  #f4           
,commission personnel matters  7a7      
,compensation of members ,a member of   
the ,commission who is not an officer or
 employee of the ,federal ,government   
shall be compensated at a rate equal to 
the daily equivalent of the annual rate 

of basic pay prescribed for level ,,iv  
of the ,executive ,schedule under       
section #ecae of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code1 for each day 7including  
travel time7 during which the member is 
engaged in the performance of the duties
 of the ,commission4  7b7 ,travel       
expenses ,a member of the ,commission   
shall be allowed travel expenses1       
including per diem in lieu of           
subsistence1 at rates authorized for    
employees of agencies under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code1 while away from their    
homes or regular places of business in  
the performance of services for the     
,commission4  7c7 ,staff  7#a7 ,in      
general ,the ,chairperson of the        
,commission may1 without regard to the  
civil service laws 7including           
regulations71 appoint and terminate an  
executive director and such other       
additional personnel as may be necessary
 to enable the ,commission to perform   
its duties1 except that the employment  

of an executive director shall be       
subject to confirmation by the          
,commission4  7#b7 ,compensation ,the   
,chairperson of the ,commission may fix 
the compensation of the executive       
director and other personnel without    
regard to chapter #ea and subchapter    
,,iii of chapter #ec of title #e1       
,united ,states ,code1 relating to      
classification of positions and ,general
 ,schedule pay rates1 except that the   
rate of pay for the executive director  
and other personnel may not exceed the  
rate payable for level ,v of the        
,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf
 of that title4  7d7 ,detail of         
government employees ,a ,federal        
,government employee may be detailed to 
the ,commission without reimbursement1  
and such detail shall be without        
interruption or loss of civil service   
status or privilege4  7e7 ,procurement  
of temporary and intermittent services  
,the ,chairperson of the ,commission may
 procure temporary and intermittent     

services under section #caji7;b7 of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 at     
rates for individuals that do not exceed
 the daily equivalent of the annual rate
 of basic pay prescribed for level ,v of
 the ,executive ,schedule under section 
#ecaf of that title4  #g4 ,termination  
of ,commission ,the ,commission shall   
terminate on the date that is #fj days  
after the date on which the ,commission 
submits the proposed civics curriculum  
and national strategy to the ,committee 
on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and     
,pensions of the ,senate under section  
#d7;d74  #h4 ,appropriations  7a7 ,in   
general ,there is appropriated1 out of  
amounts in the ,treasury not otherwise  
appropriated1 to the ,commission        
#b1jjj1jjj to carry out this ,act4  7b7 
,availability ,the amounts made         
available under this section shall be   
available beginning on the date of      
enactment of this ,act1 and shall remain
 available until expended4