[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 123 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2914. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of part I of subtitle F of title V, add the
following:
SEC. 5__. REPORT ON MATERIALS, PROGRAMS, AND ACTIVITIES
RESTRICTED AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION
ACTIVITY SCHOOLS.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Department of Defense Education Activity may be engaging
in censorship that could violate the rights of members of the
Armed Forces and their families under the First Amendment to
the Constitution of the United States.
(b) Report Required.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness shall submit to the congressional
defense committees a report enumerating the educational
materials, programs, and activities affected by the memoranda
issued by the Department of Defense Education Activity on
February 5, 2025, restricting the use of materials by covered
schools.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) A list of books restricted at a covered school as a
result of the memoranda described in paragraph (1).
(B) A list of any curriculum materials or educational
guidance that has been modified at a covered school as a
result of those memoranda.
(C) A list of programs restricted at a covered school as a
result of those memoranda.
(D) A list of activities restricted at a covered school as
a result of those memoranda.
(E) A list of holidays or commemorative heritage activities
restricted at covered school as a result of those memoranda.
(F) A description of a process by which administrators,
teachers, parents, students, and other interested parties at
a covered school can submit a complaint about restrictions
imposed pursuant to those memoranda to the Director of the
Department of Defense Education Activity, including an option
for maintaining the anonymity of individuals submitting a
complaint.
(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Congressional defense committees.--The term
``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given
that term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.
(B) Covered school.--The term ``coverd school'' means a
school operated--
(i) by the Department of Defense Education Activity; or
(ii) with support provided by the Non-Department of Defense
Schools Program.
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