Joyce Applauds Passage of Bill to Block CCP Influence in America’s Classrooms 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Dave Joyce’s (OH-14) bill, the Combating Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act. This legislation prohibits K-12 public schools from accepting funds or entering contracts with the Chinese Government, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and individuals or entities with ties to either. The bill would also require schools to notify the Department of Education of any foreign funds or contracts they have. This measure now advances to the Senate for its consideration. 

“The CCP’s attempts to shape narratives in our classrooms threaten the fairness and independence of American education,” said Congressman Joyce. “Given China’s growing influence in education worldwide, taking commonsense steps to protect our children and safeguard the integrity of our school systems is essential. Today’s House passage of the CLASS Act reflects a commitment from Congress to keep our schools free from foreign influence and protect our children’s learning environment. I want to thank Representative Rulli for leading this legislation with me and countering China’s soft-power campaign.”

“I’m proud to announce that the House has passed H.R. 1005, the Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems Act, better known as the CLASS Act. This bill, which I co-led with Congressman Dave Joyce, takes a strong stand to keep foreign influence, especially from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), out of America’s classrooms,” said Congressman Michael Rulli. “It prohibits K through 12 schools from accepting money or contracts tied to the CCP and brings new transparency by requiring schools to report any foreign funding they receive. This is about protecting our kids, defending American values, and ensuring our schools stay focused on education, not propaganda. I’d like to thank Congressman Joyce for approaching me about this bill, and I would like to thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives for voting to move this important legislation forward.”

Background:

One aspect of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) larger soft-power effort to influence policy in countries throughout the world is the Chinese government’s attempt to forge ties with American schools by establishing Confucius Classrooms in K-12 schools through its Ministry of Education Office of Chinese Language Council International. Styled as language and culture programs, Confucius Classrooms have become an increasingly important element of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) campaign for global influence. Confucius Classrooms are smaller-scale, K–12 versions of the Confucius Institutes that the CCP has established as partnerships between host institutions, Chinese partners (usually a Chinese university), and Chinese government agencies across U.S. college campuses.

The Ministry of Education Office of Chinese Language Council International funds each Confucius Institute, often at around $100,000 per year, and asks host institutions to match those funds with their own contributions, usually classroom and office space. These funding arrangements are rarely disclosed to parents and are often conditional upon school districts allowing the Chinese government to vet which teachers are going to teach in American schools and what information is conveyed to students.

Many K–12 schools have eagerly accepted CCP-linked grants, which come with perks including fully funded teacher exchanges, Chinese language programs, and options for American students to learn in China. However, Confucius Classroom funding comes with strings attached that compromise academic freedom. The Chinese government approves teachers, events, and speakers, and requires teachers to sign contracts pledging they will not damage the national interests of China. The contracts make clear that a Chinese director or teacher will be terminated if they “violate Chinese laws” or “engage in activities detrimental to national interests” and state that they must “conscientiously safeguard national interests.”

The CLASS Act would help put an end to foreign influence in American schools by banning school districts from accepting any funds from the People’s Republic of China or individuals and entities with ties to the government and requiring school districts to disclose any time they receive funding from other foreign governments.

Read the full text of the bill here.

To view the full committee report on this bill, click here.

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