HR 1351

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 13, 2025

Mr. Strong (for himself, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Palmer, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Alford, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Harris of Maryland, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Babin, Mr. Downing, and Mr. Rose) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

A BILL

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the display of the American Flag in certain federally funded elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.

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 “Promoting American Patriotism In Our Schools Act”.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The American flag is a symbol of the unity, liberty, and freedom of the United States of America.

(2) It is important to foster national pride and a shared sense of civic responsibility among the youth of the United States.

(3) The Pledge of Allegiance is a statement of national commitment and serves as a reminder of the values and principles upon which the nation was founded.

(4) The inclusion of the American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance in the daily activities of elementary and secondary school students serves to promote a sense of national identity and unity.

(5) Educating students about the history and significance of the American flag, as well as encouraging a daily expression of patriotism, plays an important role in their development as responsible and engaged citizens.

SEC. 3. RECITATION OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND DISPLAY OF AMERICAN FLAG IN SCHOOLS.

(a) In General.—Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 8524 the following:

“SEC. 8524A. RECITATION OF PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND DISPLAY OF AMERICAN FLAG.

“(a) In General.—As a condition of receiving funds under this Act, a local educational agency shall establish, maintain, and enforce a policy that requires the following:

“(1) Subject to subsection (b), all students, teachers, and staff in covered schools shall recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America at the beginning of each school day. The Pledge shall be recited in the exact form and manner set forth in section 4 of title 4, United States Code.

“(2) The flag of the United States of America shall be prominently displayed in each classroom and gymnasium of each covered school. Each such flag shall be displayed in a manner that ensures it is visible to all occupants of the classroom or gymnasium during the school day.

“(3) Educational materials on the history, significance, and proper display of the flag of the United States of America shall be incorporated into the civics or history curriculum of each grade level taught at each covered school. The materials shall be age appropriate and promote understanding of the values and principles represented by the flag.

“(b) Exception.—Each policy required under subsection (a) shall include an exception pursuant to which an individual may refrain from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance for religious or personal reasons. No individual may be penalized, discriminated against, or subjected to retaliatory action for exercising the option to refrain from recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in accordance with such exception.

“(c) Certification.—On an annual basis not later than October 1 of each year, each local educational agency subject to the requirements of this section shall certify in writing to the State educational agency involved that the local educational agency is in compliance with such requirements. The State educational agency shall report to the Secretary by November 1 of each year a list of those local educational agencies that have not filed the certification or against which complaints have been made to the State educational agency that the local educational agencies are not in compliance with this section.

“(d) Enforcement.—The Secretary is authorized and directed to effectuate this section by issuing, and securing compliance with, rules or orders with respect to a local educational agency that fails to certify, or is found to have certified in bad faith, that the agency is in compliance with the requirements of this section.

“(e) Covered School Defined.—In this section, the term ‘covered school’ means a public elementary or public secondary school that receives Federal funds under this Act (whether directly or through a subgrant from a State or local educational agency).”.

(b) Effective Date and Applicability.—The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect to school years beginning on or after such effective date. <all>