A key congressional committee has approved four bills aimed at schemes by America’s adversaries to brainwash U.S. students, including Communist China’s “Confucius” program, in which Beijing sends funding to American schools, colleges and universities along with instructional materials containing Communist Chinese propaganda.
The U.S House Education and Workforce Committee passed four bills to limit foreign influence in American classrooms: H.R. 1048, Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act; H.R. 1069, Promoting Responsible Oversight to Eliminate Communist Teachings (PROTECT) Our Kids Act; H.R. 1005, Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act; and H.R. 1049, Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act.
“The very first package of bills passed out of this Committee sends a strong message: we will not tolerate any attempt by America’s adversaries to subvert our education system or exploit our students,” said Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI.)
“Authoritarian regimes around the world, like the Chinese Communist Party, are trying to use lucrative financial ties to influence our students, steal research, and censor free speech. These bills are a strong first step to limit the reach of our adversaries and offer a new set of tools to hold malign actors accountable,” Walberg added.
According to the Committee, the four bills are:
H.R. 1048, the DETERRENT Act:
* Tightens and clarifies foreign gift reporting requirements for colleges and universities.
* Slashes foreign gift reporting requirements from $250,000 to $50,000. Requirements for countries of concern are further reduced to $0.
* Closes reporting loopholes.
* Requires disclosures of foreign gifts and contracts to staff at research-heavy institutions.
* Reveals concerning foreign investments in endowments.
* Imposes strict consequences, such as the loss of Title IV funding, for colleges and universities that continually fail to comply.
H.R. 1069, the PROTECT Our Kids Act:
* Prohibits federal education funds from being given to any elementary school or secondary school that directly or indirectly receives support from the CCP.
H.R. 1005, the CLASS Act:
* Requires school districts to disclose to the Secretary of Education within 30 days any instance of them receiving funding or entering into a contract with a foreign source.
H.R. 1049, the TRACE Act:
* Establishes that parents have the right to know about donations, financial transactions, and classroom materials from foreign countries or foreign entities of concern.
* Requires schools to respond to parent requests regarding whether faculty are paid by foreign entities of concern.
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