[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 156 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4471-H4475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             PROTECTING HUNTING HERITAGE AND EDUCATION ACT

  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5110) to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 to clarify that the prohibition on the use of Federal education 
funds for certain weapons does not apply to the use of such weapons for 
training in archery, hunting, or other shooting sports, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5110

       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 ``Protecting Hunting Heritage 
     and Education Act''.

     SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PROHIBITION ON USE OF FEDERAL 
                   EDUCATION FUNDS FOR CERTAIN WEAPONS AND RELATED 
                   TRAINING.

       Section 8526(7) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
     Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7906(7)) is amended by inserting ``, 
     except that this paragraph shall not apply to the use of 
     funds under

[[Page H4472]]

     this Act for activities carried out under programs authorized 
     by this Act that are otherwise permissible under such 
     programs and that provide students with educational 
     instruction or educational enrichment activities, such as 
     archery, hunting, other shooting sports, or culinary arts'' 
     before the period at the end.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H.R. 5110, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of the Protecting Hunting Heritage and 
Education Act, H.R. 5110.
  Last year, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. 
While most Republicans weren't in favor of its provisions, the few that 
eventually voted for the bill voted with the assumption that the Biden 
administration would not try to misconstrue the language to end the 
vital hunter and archery classes in our K-12 schools.
  Now, due to the overly antigun Department of Education, the law is 
being used to pressure schools rather than enhance their security. 
Republican negotiators feel frustrated by the Department's actions. 
Democrats feel let down by the Department. Above all, the American 
people feel wronged by the Department and scared that at a Federal 
level it would take such actions.
  This is because the Department has taken the funding ban for the 
provision of or training in the use of a dangerous weapon and 
misinterpreted it as a funding ban on archery, shooting, and hunter 
safety programs--some even speculate culinary programs.
  How do I know that this anger is widespread? Look no further than the 
commentary from Democrats over the past few weeks. Without explicitly 
naming names, Democrats have called the administration overly 
ambitious, simply mistaken, and with a blatant disregard for the law. 
Too many people on the other side of the aisle are looking for any 
pretext to prevent American citizens from using firearms, even if the 
purpose is to increase safety.
  Archery and hunting safety programs are not dangerous. They instill 
core values in schoolchildren--values like responsibility, patience, 
and discipline. In fact, our society could use more of these values and 
more of these programs.
  Moreover, education programs such as hunting and archery foster a 
sense of connection and belonging among classmates. They are a win-win 
for our schools and communities. In Wisconsin alone, we have 272 
schools offering archery programs, 37 of which are located in my 
district.
  What we have here is yet another example of Federal bureaucrats who 
are out of touch with the American people. I know my constituents back 
home support these programs, and so do I. Therefore, I urge passage of 
H.R. 5110, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act when it 
came to the House last year, and I am glad it was indeed a bipartisan 
bill. It was passed in response to the horrific shootings that occurred 
in Uvalde, Texas, and in Buffalo, New York. However, the Bipartisan 
Safer Communities Act was negotiated in a bipartisan manner in the 
Senate and then it came over to the House where we voted on it with no 
changes and sent it to the President for his signature.
  In attempting to make clear that Title IV funds provided under the 
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act through the ESEA could not be used to 
arm teachers or school staff, Senate negotiators used language stating 
that no funds could be used to provide to any person a dangerous weapon 
or training in the use of a dangerous weapon.
  Now, the term ``dangerous weapon'' is broadly defined. So in using 
this language, Senate negotiators inadvertently, I believe, precluded 
the use of funds by students for certain activities in school and 
extracurricular programs that were previously permitted prior to the 
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
  The gentleman from Wisconsin has made the claim that it is the 
Department of Education that is misinterpreting the law. They, in fact, 
are following the law to the very letter. If we want to place some 
scrutiny, it should be on the Senate, which I believe drafted this 
language imprecisely which resulted in the need for this technical fix.
  H.R. 5110 is an attempt to fix that language to permit the use of 
such items for students in school and extracurricular activities, and I 
am glad that we were able to work in a bipartisan manner once again to 
agree on the language that we are voting on today.
  As this issue has come to light, many people have targeted the 
Department of Education as the problem, stating that the Department has 
misinterpreted congressional intent in applying the law. That is 
absolutely incorrect. The Department has been following the law as 
written and passed by Congress and signed by the President. Of course, 
we all remember that the President takes an oath to faithfully execute 
the laws of our country.
  Today's legislation makes clear that we are not trying to preclude 
the use of items by students in the pursuit of educational and 
extracurricular activities, and the list in the example list in the 
legislative text is not exhaustive.
  That said, the language would preclude ESEA funding from being used 
to arm teachers or school staff or train teachers or school staff in 
the use of dangerous weapons remains intact.
  Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and 
Education Act and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, the Biden Department of Education shares a distinct and 
familiar trait with every government agency in Washington right now: It 
has a habit of making crackpot decisions.
  One such decision made by the Department recently was to block 
funding for hunting and archery education under the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act, ESEA.
  Nobody at the Department of Education can truly believe Congress 
sought to block this funding, yet they refuse to interpret the law 
consistent with congressional intent.
  The idea that schools should offer valuable educational enrichment 
activities like teaching hunting, archery, and culinary skills have 
never been a partisan issue.
  Mr. Speaker, that same magnitude of support should be on display when 
the House passes the bipartisan Protecting Hunting Heritage and 
Education Act.
  This legislation clarifies that the prohibition on the use of ESEA 
funds for certain weapons does not apply to learning in activities like 
archery, hunting, other shooting sports, or culinary arts.
  It is a simple bill that would safeguard learning opportunities for 
millions of American students every year, especially those who live in 
rural areas across our country.
  Hunting and archery programs teach America's schoolchildren self-
esteem, responsibility, and, ultimately, how to use these recreational 
tools safely. The National Archery in Schools Program has served over 
18 million students since 2002.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no logical reason why anyone should oppose this 
legislation because there is no logical argument to be made in doing 
so.
  It is just that simple.
  I am proud to support the bipartisan Protecting Hunting Heritage and 
Education Act. I look forward to its swift passage in the House.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I just remind the chairwoman, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina, that it was Congress that sent 
language in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which proscribed the 
ability for these activities to occur in our schools, and to 
characterize faithfully executing the laws of our country as 
``crackpot'' I think is quite off base.

[[Page H4473]]

  The President and his administration support this technical fix that 
is being sought, and I support this technical fix. Congress needs to 
take care that we send language that reflects our intent.
  I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle).
  Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from 
California for yielding time.
  I rise in strong support of the Protecting Hunting Heritage and 
Education Act, which passed unanimously out of the Education and 
Workforce Committee by a 42-0 vote. This is how Congress is supposed to 
work.
  The bill would ensure that archery, hunter safety, culinary, and 
related outdoor education programs will continue to receive Federal 
funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, or 
ESEA.
  For decades, schools across the country in districts like mine have 
provided archery and hunter safety education classes with funding 
provided by the ESEA.
  These programs get kids off of their phones, out from behind the TV, 
into the outdoors. They learn focus, physical agility, and a respect 
for the outdoors. In many districts like mine, people hunt for food.
  Again, we want to promote gun safety, and, again, hunter training.
  Unfortunately, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, an important gun 
violence prevention law that Congress passed last year, contained 
language that mistakenly cut off the Federal funding from these 
programs. It was no one's intent.
  The Federal funding prohibition was not the original intent of the 
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. I was proud to lead a bipartisan 
letter along with Representative   Mike Thompson from California urging 
support for continued Federal funding for these programs.
  The Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act will clarify that 
Federal funding for these programs will continue.
  I thank Representative Mark Green, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, and 
Ranking Member  Bobby Scott for their bipartisan work on this issue 
that matters so much in districts like mine.
  I call on the Senate to swiftly pass this legislation and ensure our 
young people can continue to have access to these vital programs.
  Our rural communities can't wait any longer.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the author of this 
bill, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green).
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Foxx for the 
opportunity to speak about my vital piece of legislation.
  I rise today as an avid hunter and fisherman and as someone who wants 
to see these timeless traditions and skills passed down to the next 
generation.
  My bill, the Hunting Heritage and Education Act, will prohibit the 
Department of Education from withholding Federal funds from school 
archery programs, hunting safety courses, and culinary classes.
  The Biden administration's misinterpretation of the Bipartisan Safer 
Communities Act unfairly targeted archery and shooting sports programs 
in K-12 schools. It didn't address fencing programs.
  Democrats and Republicans agree, the Biden administration missed the 
target here in Congress by a long shot. In fact, the bill came out of 
committee unanimously. Under the Department of Education's current 
interpretation of the law, other school activities like fencing and the 
culinary arts would also be at risk eventually. This would be 
unacceptable.

                              {time}  1645

  For my family and those in my district, hunting and fishing are more 
than just hobbies. They are a way of life. The early mornings and long 
hours that I have spent hunting and fishing, first with my father and 
now with my son and son-in-law, are extremely important to me. I 
cherish these memories, and I know many families across the country 
feel the same way. I will tell you this: You can really get to know 
someone after spending a few hours in a duck blind with them.
  Hunters and fishers are also the best conservationists. As Psalms 
24:1 says: The Earth is the Lord's and all it contains, the world and 
those who live in it.
  I believe we are all called to steward God's creation, and this is a 
part of what we teach our children when we take them hunting.
  The truth is, being out in nature is good for kids. Education 
policies oriented toward K-12 schools should place a larger focus on 
getting kids out from behind screens and into the great outdoors. Our 
Nation is blessed with beautiful lands and waters, and we need more 
kids to put down the controller and take up the rod or a bow.
  Despite the administration's flawed ruling, many are. Across the 
country, thousands of students participate in shooting sports and 
archery. In fact, 9,000 schools belong to the National Archery in the 
Schools Program, and many of these students go on to receive college 
scholarships. It would be cruel to take these opportunities away from 
these students.
  I am glad to lead this charge, and I thank all those who are behind 
me, such as 24 State attorneys general, including my own attorney 
general from Tennessee, the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, the 
Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, the Boone and 
Crockett Club, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Backcountry 
Hunters and Anglers, the National Wildlife Federation, and the 
bipartisan members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
  Let's get this done.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I will just point out again that the last speaker made 
the claim that it was a faulty interpretation by this administration. I 
would argue we sent a bill to the President that had a technical error. 
Let's place the onus of responsibility on a situation in which we had 
the choice of returning the bill back to the Senate with a technical 
correction, risking a potential derailment of a landmark bill.
  The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act represents a significant step 
forward in terms of gun safety in our country. I will remind my 
colleagues that this was in the wake of the Uvalde shootings in Texas 
and the Buffalo shootings. The American people were demanding action 
from this Congress.
  I think the decision was made to not return the bill to the Senate 
with a technical fix but to send it to the President. The Senate, in my 
estimation, could have done a better job of making sure this language 
was clearer, but the administration has been enforcing the law 
according to the legislative text that we sent them.
  I will take a moment to talk about how significant this bill has been 
for our kids. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act included 
authorization for a lot of funding to address the mental health crisis 
that our students are facing across the country. This is also a 
bipartisan concern.
  I will let this body know that in my own district, I have seen the 
schools respond in a magnificent way. One school district has directly 
hired clinical social workers. Instead of having to refer students out 
to nonexistent therapists in the community, the Bipartisan Safer 
Communities Act is enabling us to expand this model where school 
districts directly hire clinical social workers. In fact, this one 
school district that I am talking about has a clinical social worker 
assigned to every school. This has made access to mental health much 
easier. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act has made this happen. I 
will speak more on this as we continue the discussion.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Allen).
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5110, the Protecting 
Hunting Heritage and Education Act, which would correct the Biden 
Department of Education's misguided interpretation of Federal law to 
now prohibit the use of funding for school-based hunting and archery 
programs. The Department's effort is not only facing bipartisan 
backlash but also blatantly skirts congressional intent.

[[Page H4474]]

  H.R. 5110 is an important step toward ensuring American schools have 
the resources and funding necessary to continue teaching students 
important safety skills as they engage in these outdoor activities.
  Many of my constituents in rural Georgia, including me and many of my 
family, are passionate about hunting, and we should be encouraging our 
Nation's youth to get outside more, not cutting off funds for programs 
that help achieve that goal.
  One of my greatest memories is my son going to hunter safety school 
and spending time in the woods together. That is the greatest bond, I 
believe, between a father and son.
  Members on both sides of the aisle believe students should be able to 
receive safe, responsible hunting and archery education.
  I am proud to stand with the next generation of sportsmen and -women.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the Protecting Hunting Heritage 
and Education Act.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' 
on H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Good).

  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
legislation to protect our students' access to hunting, archery, and 
similar programs across the country.
  Virginians are passionate about these outdoor sports, and school 
programs are a wonderful way to cultivate that passion while teaching 
aspiring outdoorsmen how to safely exercise their Second Amendment 
rights.
  That our action is necessary today to fight back against the radical, 
activist Department of Education is a testament to how much the Biden 
administration hates our constitutional rights and wants to use every 
means possible to restrict those rights and impose gun control on law-
abiding citizens.
  Currently, the leftist Department of Education interprets the law to 
restrict funding for hunting and archery programs in the schools. 
Congress never intended this, and we shouldn't even have to clarify it 
to the agenda-driven, unaccountable bureaucrats in the Biden 
administration.
  Nevertheless, today's bill provides that clarification and ensures 
that Federal dollars can continue to go to schools with hunting and 
archery programs.
  The genesis of this problem comes from a law that I opposed last 
Congress, the so-called Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was 
actually a gun-grabbing effort by the left that prevents States and 
districts from hardening schools to protect their students, teachers, 
and staff.
  We should do more to repeal and reverse the harmful impacts this 
legislation has had on our schools. If we permit teachers to be armed 
and trained, it will discourage the threat and reduce the potential 
impact of bad guys with guns attacking our schools.
  Instead of blocking funding for defensive training, we should support 
training teachers and staff to use the Second Amendment to protect our 
children.
  I believe our schools will be safer if we prosecute criminals, 
support our law enforcement, including SROs, and support teachers and 
staff who want to be trained and permitted to concealed carry in 
schools.
  Federal investment and resources can play a key role, but Congress 
must also reduce and eliminate Federal legal barriers so that States 
and communities can protect their own students in the most effective 
way possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the legislation today because it is a step in 
the right direction, but we should go further and also permit teachers 
to be trained to defend their students in schools. I urge my colleagues 
to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5110.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Owens).
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act.
  The Department of Education's decision to block funding for hunting 
and archery education under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
eliminates valuable opportunities for students to participate in safe 
and responsible firearm handling, recreational shooting sports, and 
outdoor recreational activities.
  School programs such as hunting and archery have enjoyed longstanding 
bipartisan support, and for good reason. The National Archery in the 
Schools Program has served over 18 million students since 2002. Forty 
percent of these students claim to be more engaged in the classroom, 
and a remarkable 91 percent pursue, or express their desire to pursue, 
other outdoor activities.
  Hunting and archery programs provide more than dexterity and mental 
skills. They foster character development, a sense of responsibility, 
and a profound connection with the natural beauty of our Nation.
  In Utah, hundreds of thousands of Utahns spend quality time with 
their family, friends, and neighbors during the hunting season. 
Additionally, these sports provide 13,000 jobs and generate $550 
million for the Beehive State's economy annually.
  There is a bipartisan consensus that students should be able to 
receive safe, responsible hunting and archery education.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues across the aisle to support H.R. 
5110, bipartisan legislation to stand behind student hunters and 
archers, and ensure these programs are preserved for future generations 
of Americans to use these recreational tools safely.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Moran).

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, today, I speak in support of the Protecting 
Hunting Heritage and Education Act. This bill would amend the 
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act so that it explicitly states that school programs that 
train students ``in archery, hunting, or other shooting sports'' are 
eligible for Federal funding.
  Currently, the Department of Education, under the Biden 
administration, has misinterpreted the phrase ``training in the use of 
a dangerous weapon'' so that classes for archery or hunting safety are 
being deemed as a violation of Federal law. This simply makes no sense.
  If we use the Department of Education's wrongheaded and broad way of 
interpreting the definition of a ``weapon,'' then culinary classes 
might be next on the exclusion list since knives are used in those 
classes.
  This bill would correct the Department of Education's misguided 
interpretation under the current statute by clarifying that archery and 
hunting courses are not teaching the training and the use of dangerous 
weapons and schools that choose to teach such courses cannot be 
stripped of their Federal funding.
  I have been involved in classes that teach hunting and archery 
through organizations like the Boy Scouts, and I know firsthand that 
they teach and reinforce skills like responsibility, self-reliance, 
preparation, and attention to detail. They build self-esteem in young 
men and women and also reinforce the ideas of conservation and 
stewardship of our natural resources and instill a love and 
appreciation for the world that God created.
  These classes also teach safety and responsibility relating to rifles 
and bows and arrows. All of these are skills and characteristics that 
we want in our children. Why misinterpret statutes to prevent classes 
that reinforce these skills and characteristics in our youth?
  I proudly support the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act 
and urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage to return 
local control to our school districts and to make right what is now 
currently wrong.

                              {time}  1700

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, I believe, passed, 
as the title would suggest, with bipartisan support. It was a 
significant step forward, although, in my estimation, not

[[Page H4475]]

enough in terms of addressing the gun violence issue that we have in 
our country.
  We have seen since the Uvalde shooting and the Buffalo shooting many 
more mass shootings occur in our country, and I believe the American 
people want to see more done.
  Instead of just thoughts and prayers, we did pass the Bipartisan 
Safer Communities Act, which came with many provisions that address gun 
violence in our schools. The most significant element of the bill, in 
my estimation, is the broad and deep support for expanding access to 
mental health care for our young people. This is truly a great 
achievement.
  I am very pleased that we are addressing the technical error that 
Congress made in drafting this language that it sent to the President. 
I am glad that we are correcting that today. I will point out that the 
President and his administration support this technical fix.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5110, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, overturning the funding ban on hunting and archery 
programs is a no-brainer. I was glad, as a member of the Committee on 
Education, to see that when this bill passed, it came out of committee 
unanimously 42-0. That is because the value of these programs is 
universally recognized. They are certainly not unsafe. In fact, the 
best thing we could do would be to expand them, offer more of them, and 
teach more children how to handle recreational tools appropriately.
  Furthermore, just like when the effort was made by the Governor of 
New Mexico, there is a bipartisan consensus that the people who were 
trying to restrict ownership or restrict acquainting themselves with 
firearms were shot down on a bipartisan basis.
  Because of this administration's actions, however, many schools were 
proactively nixing hunting and archery programs to comply with the 
Department's wrongheaded and heavy-handed reading of the law. That is 
already going too far.
  Congress should respond quickly with swift action and pass the 
Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5110, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________