[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5527 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5527
To require the Secretary of Defense to restore access to curricula,
books, and other learning materials at schools operated by the
Department of Defense Education Activity, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 19, 2025
Mr. Raskin (for himself, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Johnson of
Georgia, Ms. Norton, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. McGovern, and Ms. Jayapal)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Education and
Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Defense to restore access to curricula,
books, and other learning materials at schools operated by the
Department of Defense Education Activity, 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 ``Stop Censoring Military Families
Act''.
SEC. 2. RESTORATION OF ACCESS TO CURRICULA, BOOKS, AND OTHER LEARNING
MATERIALS.
(a) Restoration and Temporary Limitation on Further Restrictions.--
(1) Restoration.--As soon as practicable after the date of
the enactment of this Act, but not later than 30 days after
such date, the Secretary of Defense shall restore access to all
curricula, books, and other learning materials that were
available at covered educational institutions before January
20, 2025.
(2) Limitation.--The Secretary of Defense may not take any
action that would limit the availability of the materials
described in paragraph (1) until after the beginning of the
2026-2027 academic year.
(b) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report that includes--
(1) identification of all curricula, books, or other
learning materials identified for potential removal pursuant to
instructions issued by the Secretary of Defense after January
20, 2025;
(2) a detailed account of the processes and instructions
used to carry out such actions; and
(3) in the case of any such actions affecting schools
operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity, an
explanation of whether such actions complied with the
requirements of section 2164a of title 10, United States Code.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered educational institution'' means a
school operated by the Department of Defense Education
Activity.
(2) The term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate.
SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON FURTHER RESTRICTIONS TO CURRICULA, BOOKS, OTHER
LEARNING MATERIALS, AND CULTURAL EVENTS.
(a) In General.--Section 2164 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(n) Limitation on Restrictions to Curricula, Learning Materials,
and Cultural Events.--
``(1) The Secretary of Defense may not issue any directive
affecting the curriculum, program of instruction,
administration, or personnel of two or more schools operated by
the Department of Defense Education Activity until one year
after the following requirements have been met:
``(A) The Secretary has submitted to the School
Advisory Committee (or the equivalent advisory body)
and Installation Advisory Committee of the schools
involved and to the Committees on Armed Services of the
Senate and the House of Representatives written notice
of the Secretary's intent to issue such directive
together with a description of and justification for
the directive.
``(B) Each School Advisory Committee (or the
equivalent advisory body) that received the notice
under subparagraph (A)--
``(i) with respect to a directive
pertaining to curricula or programs of
instruction, has voted to initiate the CMRC
process with regard to the directive; or
``(ii) with respect to a directive
pertaining to administration or personnel--
``(I) has voted to initiate the
CMRC process with regard to the
directive; or
``(II) in lieu of initiating such
process, has conducted a review to
determine how the directive will affect
the school involved, produced a written
response setting forth the results of
the review, and approved such response
via an official vote.
``(C) The findings of such process or review (as
the case may be) were submitted to the Committees on
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of
Representatives not later than 90 days after the
process or review was initiated, and such Committees
have had an opportunity to consider potential
legislative responses to the proposed directive.
``(2) The Secretary of Defense may not issue any directive
affecting the curriculum, program of instruction,
administration, or personnel of two or more schools operated by
the Department of Defense Education Activity unless--
``(A) the Secretary submits to the School Advisory
Committee (or the equivalent advisory body) of the
schools involved and the Committees on Armed Services
of the Senate and the House of Representatives written
notice of the Secretary's intent to issue such
directive together with a description of and
justification for the directive; and
``(B) a period of 90 days has elapsed following the
date on which such notice was submitted.
``(3) The requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) shall
apply to directives affecting two or more schools operated by
the Department of Defense Education Activity regardless of
whether such directives are issued collectively or separately
to individual schools.
``(4) The Secretary of Defense may not issue any directive
affecting the selection or removal of library resources,
textbooks, or other printed or published instructional
materials at any individual school operated by the Department
of Defense Education Activity unless--
``(A) the Secretary submits to the School Advisory
Committee (or the equivalent advisory body) of the
school involved written notice of the Secretary's
intent to issue such directive together with a
description of and justification for the directive; and
``(B) a period of 30 days has elapsed following the
date on which such notice was submitted.
``(5) The Secretary of Defense may not--
``(A) limit the authority of an individual school
to plan or hold commemorative events or cultural events
that have been duly approved by the principal, faculty,
staff, or School Advisory Committee (or the equivalent)
of the school involved; or
``(B) withhold funding or take other action against
a school solely because such school plans or holds an
event described in subparagraph (A).
``(6) In this subsection, the term `CMRC process' means the
procedures described in Department of Defense Education
Activity Administrative Instruction 2992.01 relating to
`Information Center and Classroom Supplemental Materials
Selection Policy and Challenge Procedures', dated February 12,
2010.''.
(b) Effective Date and Applicability.--The amendments made by
subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act and shall apply beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year for
schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity.
SEC. 4. NULLIFICATION OF CERTAIN EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
(a) In General.--The Executive orders specified in subsection (b)
shall have no force or effect with respect to the Department of Defense
and no Federal funds may be used to implement or enforce such Executive
orders, or any substantially similar directives, within the Department
of Defense.
(b) Executive Orders Specified.--The Executive orders specified in
this subsection are the following:
(1) Executive Order 14190 (90 Fed. Reg. 8853; relating to
ending radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling).
(2) Executive Order 14280 (90 Fed. Reg. 17533; relating to
reinstating commonsense school discipline policies).
(3) Executive Order 14281 (90 Fed. Reg 17537; relating to
restoring equality of opportunity and meritocracy).
(4) Executive Order 14185 (90 Fed. Reg. 8763; relating to
restoring America's fighting force).
(5) Executive Order 14183 (90 Fed. Reg. 8757; relating to
prioritizing military excellence and readiness).
(6) Executive Order 14168 (90 Fed. Reg. 8615; relating to
defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring
biological truth to the Federal Government).
(7) Executive Order 14201 (90 Fed. Reg 9279; relating to
keeping men out of women's sports).
SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORT ON POTENTIAL ESTABLISHMENT OF INDEPENDENT BODY
TO IMPLEMENT CURRICULA FOR DODEA SCHOOLS.
(a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall
conduct a study to determine the feasability and advisability of
establishing an independent body to design and implement educational
curricula for schools operated by the Department of Defense Education
Activity. The study shall address--
(1) how such an independent body could be established and
structured;
(2) who should be appointed to such a body;
(3) how such body could maintain independence to ensure it
is insulated from political influence and changing priorities
of the Executive Branch; and
(4) such other factors as the Comptroller General
determines appropriate.
(b) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on the results of the
study conducted under subsection (a).
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
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