H.R. 2080

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To develop and disseminate a civic education curriculum and oral history resources regarding certain political ideologies, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · March 11, 2025 · Sponsor: Ms. Salazar · Committee: Committee on Education and Workforce

Table of contents

• H.R. 2080
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Purposes
  • SEC. 3. Development and dissemination of civic education curriculum and oral history resources
  • SEC. 4. Definitions

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the Crucial Communism Teaching Act.

SEC. 2. Purposes

• The purposes of this Act are the following:
  • To help families, civic institutions, local communities, local educational agencies, high schools, and State educational agencies to prepare high school students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults.
  • To ensure that high school students in the United States—
    • learn that communism has led to the deaths of over 100,000,000 victims worldwide;
    • understand the dangers of communism and similar political ideologies; and
    • understand that 1,500,000,000 people still suffer under communism.

SEC. 3. Development and dissemination of civic education curriculum and oral history resources

• The independent entity created under section 905(b)(1)(B) of the FRIENDSHIP Act ( note; 107 Stat. 2331 note), also known as the , shall— Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation 40 U.S.C. 8903
  • develop a civic education curriculum for high school students that—
    • includes a comparative discussion of certain political ideologies, including communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that are essential to the founding of the United States;
    • is updated periodically to ensure the curriculum includes both past and present communist and totalitarian regimes, with a focus on—
      • (i) ongoing human rights abuses by such regimes, such as the treatment of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) by the People’s Republic of China; and
      • (ii) aggression by such regimes against democratic nations and democracy, such as actions taken by the People’s Republic of China to deter pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and the increasingly aggressive posture by the People’s Republic of China toward Taiwan, a democratic friend of the United States.
    • is accurate, relevant, and accessible, so as to promote the understanding of such political ideologies; and
    • is compatible with a variety of courses, including social studies, government, history, and economics classes;
  • develop oral history resources that may be used alongside the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and that include personal stories, titled , from diverse individuals who— Portraits in Patriotism
    • demonstrate civic-minded qualities;
    • are victims of the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A); and
    • are able to compare the political ideologies described in paragraph (1)(A) with the political ideology of the United States; and
  • engage with State and local educational leaders to assist high schools in using the curriculum described in paragraph (1) and the resources described in paragraph (2).

SEC. 4. Definitions

• The terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 () shall apply to this Act. 20 U.S.C. 7801