WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster civics education resources for school children across the United States. Introduced to mark Constitution Day, Sept. 17, the Constitution education Is Valuable In Community Schools (CIVICS) Act would require elementary and secondary education federal grant recipients to include U.S. Constitution education—through hands-on programming for teachers and students—to be eligible for continued funding.

The bill recognizes the importance of teaching American history, government, geography, and the importance of the Constitution to basic civic literacy.

Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined King on the legislation.

“Good civics education creates good citizens," said Senator King, in a news release. "The U.S. Constitution is the blueprint for democracy and freedom, and its survival relies on each generation understanding our history and the values Americans have held sacred since our founding. Our democratic system of governance is an anomaly in world history, and if we truly want a government of, by, and for the people, we must make sure people have the perspective and knowledge required to do their part in protecting it. I hope this bipartisan legislation allows young Americans to better understand and engage with America’s foundational principles.”

Constitution Day was established in 1952 and Congress expanded recognition in 2004, requiring public schools and federal agencies to teach the Constitution and civics lessons. The American History and Civics Education program was established under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, and created grants for institutions of higher learning and other organizations to develop evidence-based approaches to improve the quality of American government, history, and civics. However, these entities are not required to include educational programs regarding the Constitution or Bill of Rights. Under the CIVICS Act, the institutions that receive these grants would be required to develop programming that teaches the Constitution.

As a former member of the Senate Rules Committee, Kingf cosponsored a bipartisan bill, the Civics Secure Democracy Act, which would make a $1 billion annual investment in civics and history at K-12 and higher education institutions across the country. He also introduced bipartisan legislation to designate a National High School Seniors Voter Registration Day to encourage school districts nationwide to help high school seniors register to vote.