Bill Sponsor
House Bill 1394
117th Congress(2021-2022)
Black History is American History Act
Introduced
Introduced
Introduced in House on Feb 26, 2021
Overview
Text
Introduced
Feb 26, 2021
Latest Action
Feb 26, 2021
Origin Chamber
House
Type
Bill
Bill
The primary form of legislative measure used to propose law. Depending on the chamber of origin, bills begin with a designation of either H.R. or S. Joint resolution is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.
Bill Number
1394
Congress
117
Policy Area
Education
Education
Primary focus of measure is elementary, secondary, or higher education including special education and matters of academic performance, school administration, teaching, educational costs, and student aid.
Sponsorship by Party
Democrat
Ohio
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California
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California
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California
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California
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Wisconsin
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Wisconsin
House Votes (0)
Senate Votes (0)
No House votes have been held for this bill.
Summary

Black History is American History Act

This bill requires entities (e.g., institutions of higher education, libraries, and museums), in order to be eligible for certain grants administered by the Department of Education (ED), to include Black history in their teaching of American history. It also requires Black history to be included in tests administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Specifically, the bill mandates the inclusion of Black history as a required component of American history for such entities to be eligible for American History and Civics Academies' competitive grants. These grants support the establishment of (1) Presidential Academies for Teachers of American History and Civics, which offer workshops to teachers of American history and civics to strengthen their knowledge and prepare them to teach in these subjects; and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics, which support high school students in developing an understanding of these subjects. (Currently, Black history is not a required component of American history for either academy.)

In addition, ED must give priority to grant applicants that align their activities with programs and resources of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The bill also requires the inclusion of Black history in tests administered by the NAEP, which measures student academic achievement in various subjects.

Text (1)
February 26, 2021
Actions (2)
02/26/2021
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
02/26/2021
Introduced in House
Public Record
Record Updated
Jan 11, 2023 1:47:03 PM