[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5301 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5301

     To strengthen secondary and post-secondary education programs 
 emphasizing the nature, history, and philosophy of free institutions, 
 the nature of Western civilization, and the nature of the threats to 
                     freedom from totalitarianism.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2002

 Mr. Petri (for himself and Mr. Dreier) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To strengthen secondary and post-secondary education programs 
 emphasizing the nature, history, and philosophy of free institutions, 
 the nature of Western civilization, and the nature of the threats to 
                     freedom from totalitarianism.

    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 ``Defense of Freedom Education Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) In order to preserve and defend freedom and 
        civilization, especially in these challenging times, future 
        generations of Americans must be taught to understand their 
        full significance and value, and the threats with which they 
        are faced.
            (2) Basic knowledge of United States and Western history is 
        essential to full and informed participation in civic life and 
        to the larger vibrancy of the American experiment in self-
        government, binding together a diverse people into a single 
        Nation with a common purpose.
            (3) American citizens who lack knowledge of the organizing 
        principles of Western civilization will also lack a true 
        understanding and appreciation of the democratic principles 
        that define and sustain America as a free people, such as 
        liberty, justice, tolerance, government by the consent of the 
        governed, and equality under the law.
            (4) America's colleges and universities are bellwethers of 
        national priorities and values, setting standards for the whole 
        of the United States education system and sending signals to 
        students, teachers, parents, and public schools about what 
        every educated citizen in a democracy must know.
            (5) Most of the Nation's colleges and universities no 
        longer require United States history or systematic study of 
        Western civilization as a prerequisite to graduation.
            (6) Distinguished historians and intellectuals fear that 
        without a common civic memory and a common understanding of the 
        remarkable individuals, events, and ideals that have shaped the 
        Nation, the people in the United States risk losing much of 
        what it means to be an American, as well as the ability to 
        fulfill the fundamental responsibilities of citizens in a 
        democracy.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To establish and strengthen post-secondary education 
        programs emphasizing the nature, history and philosophy of free 
        institutions, the nature of Western civilization, and the 
        nature of the threats to freedom from totalitarianism in all 
        its forms.
            (2) To develop innovative teacher education programs 
        designed to equip teachers to more effectively impart a 
        knowledge of the nature of free institutions, the threats to 
        free institutions, and the content of Western civilization to 
        elementary, middle and high school teachers.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) American founding.--The term ``American founding'' 
        means a field of study in an institution of higher education 
        that--
                    (A) encompasses part or all of the period of 
                American history between the years 1607 through 1865, 
                with particular emphasis on the years 1763-1865;
                    (B) focuses on the major events, issues and 
                historical personages of this period;
                    (C) examines the historical antecedents of the 
                major events, issues and historical personages 
                described in subparagraph (B); or
                    (D) conforms with other criteria that the secretary 
                may prescribe.
            (2) Defense of freedom.--The term ``defense of freedom'' 
        means fields of study in an institution of higher education 
        that--
                    (A) examines potent political threats to free 
                institutions (as such term is defined in this Act), 
                including communism, fascism, national socialism, and 
                nihilism; or
                    (B) examines human tendencies that threaten free 
                institutions, including tribalism, racism, caste 
                consciousness, and zealotry; or
                    (C) examines world history in the period 1901 
                through 2001, with particular emphasis on the years 
                1914 to the present, in order to understand the 
                challenges of maintaining a free society while 
                resisting totalitarian movements of global ambition.
            (3) Eligible institution.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``eligible institution'' 
                means--
                            (i) institutions of higher education;
                            (ii) specific programs within an 
                        institution of higher education;
                            (iii) foundations associated with 
                        institutions of higher education or with 
                        specific programs within an institution of 
                        higher education; or
                            (iv) other nonprofit organizations 
                        participating in, or supporting, the 
                        development of academic programs described in 
                        section 2.
                    (B) Special rule.--Organizations described in 
                subparagraph (A)(iv) may apply to award subgrants to 
                eligible institutions at the discretion of, and subject 
                to the oversight of, the Secretary. Grants to such 
                organizations shall not be subject to the limitations 
                of section 4(f).
            (4) Free institution.--The term ``free institution'', for 
        the purposes of this Act, means institutions characteristic of 
        Western Civilization, such as democracy, universalism, 
        individual rights market economics, religious freedom and 
        tolerance, and freedom of thought and inquiry.
            (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the same meaning given 
        that term under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1001).
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (7) Western civilization.--The term ``western 
        civilization'' means a field of study in an institution of 
        higher education that--
                    (A) encompasses part or all of the period of 
                European history between 500 B.C. and the present day;
                    (B) encompasses part or all of the period of 
                American history between 1607 and the present day;
                    (C) focuses on major events, issues, and historical 
                personages of the period described in subparagraphs (A) 
                and (B); and
                    (D) examines the historical antecedents of the 
                major events, issues, and historical personages 
                described in subparagraph (C); or
                    (E) examines the development of free institutions 
                characteristic of Western civilization, as such term is 
                defined in this Act;
                    (F) examines the intellectual, cultural, political 
                and religious underpinnings of Western civilization, 
                such as the scientific enterprise, entrepreneurship, 
                political pluralism, egalitarianism, moral 
                universalism, and the belief in the possibility of 
                progress;
                    (G) examines the characteristic negative features 
                of Western civilization, such as totalitarianism and 
                social Darwinism;
                    (H) examines the interaction of the West with other 
                civilizations, the Western debt to other civilizations, 
                and the comparative study of high civilization; or
                    (I) conforms with other criteria that the Secretary 
                may prescribe.

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.

    (a) In General.--From amounts appropriated to carry out this Act, 
the Secretary shall provide, on a competitive basis, grants to eligible 
institutions which shall be used for one or more of the following:
            (1) Research, planning, and coordination activities devoted 
        to the ends of this Act.
            (2) Design and implementation of courses and the 
        development of new, and supporting of existing, centers devoted 
        to the ends of this Act.
            (3) Research and publication costs of relevant readers and 
        other course materials devoted to the ends of this Act.
            (4) General expenses associated with carrying out this 
        section.
            (5) Salaries and expenses of faculty teaching in 
        undergraduate and graduate programs focused on the American 
        founding, defense of freedom, and Western civilization.
            (6) Support of graduate and postgraduate fellowships for 
        scholars in the fields related to the American founding, the 
        defense of freedom, and Western civilization.
            (7) Development of teacher education programs that--
                    (A) stress content mastery in history or 
                government; and
                    (B) stress civic education preparation, including 
                the history and philosophy of free institutions, and 
                the study of Western civilization).
    (b) Selection Criteria.--In selecting eligible institutions for 
grants under this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
establish criteria by regulation.
    (c) Required Criteria.--In establishing criteria under subsection 
(b), the Secretary shall consider the following selection criteria in 
making grants:
            (1) Educational value, and relevance to one or more purpose 
        described in section 2 of the proposed project.
            (2) Plan of operation.
            (3) Qualification of key personnel.
            (4) Budget and cost effectiveness.
            (5) Evaluation plan.
            (6) Adequacy of resources.
            (7) Identification of need for the project.
            (8) Potential institutional impact of the project.
            (9) Institutional commitment to the project.
    (d) Grant Application.--An eligible institution that desires to 
receive a grant under this Act shall submit to the Secretary an 
application therefor at such time or times, or in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may prescribe by 
regulation. Such application shall set forth--
            (1) a program of activities for carrying out the purposes 
        described in section 2 in such detail as will enable the 
        Secretary to determine the degree to which such program will 
        accomplish such purpose; and
            (2) such other policies, procedures, and assurances as the 
        Secretary may require by regulation.
    (e) Grant Review.--The Secretary shall establish procedures for 
reviewing and evaluating grants and contracts made or entered into 
under such programs.
    (f) Grant Awards.--For the purposes of this Act, the Secretary 
shall award grants of not less than $400,000 and not more than 
$6,000,000 to eligible institutions.
    (g) Multiple Awards.--For the purposes of this Act, the Secretary 
may award more than one grant to an eligible institution.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there are authorized 
to be appropriated--
            (1) $140,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
        succeeding 5 fiscal years.

SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect on September 1, 2002.
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