Should U.S. schools be open about their funding from foreign entities?
The bill requires that public elementary and secondary schools give parents notice of their rights to request information about foreign funding, materials, and support. It allows parents to request information on staff and materials subsidized with foreign funds. These schools must publicly post a summary of these parental rights.
Sponsor: Rep. Aaron Bean (Republican, Florida, District 4)
View full bill text ➔
How do you feel?
Oppose
Support
Opponents say
• "H.R. 1005 and H.R. 1049 are just as problematic. They add layers of bureaucracy and impose excessive reporting requirements on schools without providing the necessary support or funding for schools to comply. My colleagues have historically called these types of bills ‘unfunded mandates.’ Instead of addressing our schools' real challenges—such as widening achievement gaps as revealed in the NAEP data released in January, teacher shortages, and improving school infrastructure—these bills will only create more administrative burdens." Source: Rep. Robert Scott (Democrat, Virginia)
• "While the Majority claims a desire to provide parents with information on foreign governments and foreign entities of concern allegedly impacting their students' education, H.R. 1049 is another attempt to feed into culture wars. Throughout the last Congress, and continuing into this Congress, the Majority has used its agenda-setting power to consider a series of bills that provide solutions to non-existent problems to advance divisive narratives." Source: Minority Views, Committee Report on H.R. 1049
Proponents say
• "American schools are for education, not espionage. We cannot allow our students—the future of our great nation—to be corrupted by foreign adversaries who are systematically and aggressively attempting to influence our nation’s K-12 schools,” said Congressman Bean. “Yet this is what happens when our institutions of learning accept the trojan horse of foreign funding. I am proud to reintroduce this bill to solidify the rights of parents to know how foreign influence may be impacting their child’s classroom and to deter the ability of foreign nations to reach America’s youth." Source: Rep. Aaron Bean (Republican, Florida)
• "I think the easiest and fastest way to comply with this legislation is to not accept funds from communist China. It’s very simple. If you're not accepting funds from an entity like that, you won't have any compliance costs because then parents will have the transparency that will be brought about by this act. They will not ever find that there was any money being given to a school district to influence the curriculum or the teaching that is going on in a classroom, and it’ll be very simple to reply from the school district, just saying we have not received those funds." Source: Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (Republican, Pennsylvania)
- Congressman Bean Protects American Children from Foreign Adversaries (Press Release)
- House passes bill to increase ‘transparency’ surrounding foreign donations to American universities (The Daily Pennsylvanian)
- House education committee advances bills on Chinese influence, whole milk in schools (Yahoo Finance)
- Rep. Aaron Bean’s Largest Donors (OpenSecrets)
