H.R. 1351 — Promoting American Patriotism In Our Schools Act

This section establishes the short title of the Act as the “Promoting American Patriotism In Our Schools Act.”

This section states congressional findings that the American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance promote national identity, unity, civic responsibility, and patriotism among elementary and secondary school students.

This section establishes, as a condition of receiving funds under Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801 et seq.), a new requirement that local educational agencies maintain and enforce a policy requiring, in covered schools, (1) all students, teachers, and staff to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each school day, subject to an exception for religious or personal reasons; (2) the United States flag to be prominently displayed in each classroom and gymnasium so that it is visible to all occupants during the school day; and (3) age-appropriate instructional materials on the history, significance, and proper display of the flag to be incorporated into civics or history instruction at each grade level. The Pledge must be recited in the exact form and manner set forth in 4 U.S.C. § 4. The section also prohibits penalizing, discriminating against, or retaliating against any individual who declines to recite the Pledge under the exception. This section further requires each affected local educational agency to certify compliance in writing to the State educational agency by October 1 of each year, and requires each State educational agency to report to the Secretary by November 1 each year the local educational agencies that failed to certify or that are the subject of complaints alleging noncompliance. It authorizes and directs the Secretary to issue rules or orders to secure compliance from any local educational agency that fails to certify, or that is found to have certified in bad faith, that it is complying with the new requirements. For purposes of this section, a covered school is a public elementary or public secondary school that receives Federal funds under the act, directly or through a subgrant from a State or local educational agency. The amendments take effect 180 days after enactment and apply to school years beginning on or after that effective date.