S 2251119th CongressIn Committee

Say No to Indoctrination Act

Introduced: Jul 10, 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] (R-Idaho)

Education

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, titled the Say No to Indoctrination Act, would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to bar the use of ESEA funds for teaching or advancing concepts related to gender ideology. It adds a new prohibited activity to the law and ties the definition of “gender ideology” to concepts defined in a referenced executive order. In short, if enacted, schools and districts that receive ESEA funds would be restricted from pursuing curricula, programs, or professional development that teach or promote those gender-ideology concepts, with enforcement presumably through the mechanisms that administer ESEA funds.

Key Points

1Prohibition on funding: The bill adds a new prohibition in ESEA to prevent the use of funds to teach or advance concepts related to gender ideology.
2Definition tied to an Executive Order: “Gender ideology” is defined by reference to section 2 of Executive Order 14168, which the bill uses to establish the scope of the prohibited concepts.
3Legislative mechanism: The amendment changes ESEA section 8526 by inserting a new paragraph (7) and redesignating subsequent paragraphs (the numbering shift from (7) to (8)). This formalizes the prohibition within the statute.
4Scope and funding focus: The prohibition specifically targets activities funded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; it does not create new funding itself, but conditions how existing funds may be used.
5Status and process: The bill has been introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. There is no accompanying House action or enacted language yet, so it would require passage by both chambers and potential reconciliation.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected:- K-12 students and classrooms that rely on ESEA-funded programs, curricula, or professional development.- School districts and state education agencies responsible for administering ESEA funds.- Teachers and curriculum developers who work with funded programs and materials.Secondary group/area affected:- Parents and community members who engage with school curricula and policy decisions.- Vendors and nonprofit organizations that provide ESEA-funded educational materials or training.Additional impacts:- Potential legal and constitutional considerations, including concerns about academic freedom, curriculum decisions, and potential challenges to the narrowing of curricular content.- Administrative compliance requirements for schools to ensure funds are not used for any prohibited gender-ideology-related activities, creating possible reporting, monitoring, and risk-management tasks.- Policy variability at the local and state level, given that ESEA funds are typically administered with substantial local control and may intersect with state laws or other federal guidance.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 7, 2025