[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 9, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E135-E136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE COMBATING IMPLICIT BIAS IN EDUCATION ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 9, 2022

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today I introduce the Combating Implicit 
Bias in Education Act. This bill would create a $30 million grant 
program for schools to train teachers, principals and other personnel 
on implicit bias with respect to actual or perceived race, religion, 
sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, 
ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
  In 2019, a report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that 
students of color with disabilities received far more severe and 
frequent punishment than their white counterparts.
  In 2017, the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality released 
a report finding that people think of Black girls as more adult-like 
and less innocent compared to their white peers. This bias has been 
linked to harsher treatment of Black girls in schools. Students 
experiencing implicit bias and even outright discrimination face far 
greater expulsion and suspension rates, fueling the school-to-prison 
pipeline and widening the student achievement gap.
  This bill aims to reduce the impact of implicit bias on school 
discipline and academic

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achievement through research-based training for education personnel.
  Under this bill, the Institute of Education Sciences under the 
Department of Education would be tasked with evaluating and reporting 
on the effectiveness of the training.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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