The U.S. House of Representatives voted 242-176 on Wednesday to pass a bill requiring public K-12 schools to disclose foreign sources of funding above $10,000 to the U.S. Department of Education.
H.R.1005, or the Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act, states that schools must inform the U.S. education secretary of the name and country of origin and amount of any foreign source of funding in excess of $10,000. They also must share any terms or conditions tied to those funds or to contracts with foreign sources.
Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, stated that the bill is a “vital step” to prevent Chinese propaganda from “spreading through the American education system.”
The bill was one of three targeting the influence of Chinese Communist Party ideology in public K-12 schools that the House passed this week.
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, told JNS that “America’s adversaries have no place meddling in our nation’s classrooms.”
“It’s clear that foreign nations are working to smuggle antisemitism and divisive ideologies into our K-12 schools,” he said. “These three bills hold schools accountable and ensure parents know what’s happening in their kids’ classrooms and whether it’s being funded by our adversaries.”
The Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act, H.R.1049, which would require public K-12 schools to share copies of teaching materials that were obtained with foreign money with parents, passed the House 247-166 on Thursday.
And the Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids Act, H.R. 1069, which would bar public K-12 schools from receiving Chinese Communist Party funding, passed the House 247-164 on Thursday.
Walberg stated that “authoritarian regimes around the world, like the Chinese Communist Party, are trying to use lucrative financial ties with schools to undermine American values and interests.”
“I am pleased to see my colleagues recognize the need to protect our students and increase transparency when it comes to foreign funding in education,” he said. “American schools should teach critical thinking, not enemy propaganda.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated that the three bills are “victories for America’s parents, students, education system and our national security.”
“These three important measures improve transparency, strengthen parental rights and ensure America’s classrooms remain free from harmful foreign propaganda,” Johnson said.
