CIVICS Act of 2025

The CIVICS Act of 2025 would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to reshape how national activities under the American History and Civics Education program are funded and prioritized. The bill would replace the current criteria for these national activities with a new set of four requirements: (1) the activities must have potential to improve student achievement in American history, civics and government, or geography; (2) they must demonstrate innovation, scalability, accountability, and a focus on underserved populations; (3) they must include hands-on civic engagement activities for both teachers and students; and (4) they must include programs that educate students about the history and principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights. The act is titled the Constitution and Civics Education Is Valuable In Community Schools Act of 2025 (CIVICS Act of 2025) and was introduced in the Senate by Sen. King with co-sponsors. In short, the bill pushes federal funding toward experiential civics education and constitutional literacy, prioritizing hands-on engagement and a focus on underserved students, while tying funding decisions to these criteria. It does not specify funding levels or implementation details in the text provided, but set criteria would guide how national activities are selected and evaluated if enacted.