House Republicans said on Dec. 3 that they will pass several bills this week aimed at blocking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence in K–12 schools and ensuring that federal funding goes only to institutions that uphold the democratic values of the United States.

Some of the legislation seeks to ban K–12 public schools from accepting funds or entering into contracts with CCP-linked entities.

“Republicans are ... making clear that institutions which fail to protect students will not receive federal funding,“ House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) said in a statement. ”This is a good reminder that federal funding is a privilege, not a right.”

The CCP’s infamous Confucius Institute program has a K–12 counterpart: Confucius Classrooms. A 2023 investigation by nonprofit organization Parents Defending Education identified 143 such programs in the United States, including 20 near military bases, across 34 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly all the programs had closed at the time of the report’s publication, but researchers have noted that sometimes, Confucius Institutes close but then reopen under different names.

A 2019 Senate investigation found Confucius Classrooms in 519 schools in the United States. The same report states that Chinese language teachers under Confucius Institutes were required to “report to the Chinese embassy within one month of arrival in the United States” and that such controls on teachers were attempts to “export China’s censorship of political debate and prevent discussion of potentially politically sensitive topics.”

Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) introduced H.R. 1069, the PROTECT Our Kids Act, which would block federal funding from going to any schools that receive support or indirect support from the Chinese communist regime.

That could cover Confucius Classrooms or similar programs in which funding, personnel, or teaching materials come from anyone affiliated with the Chinese regime.

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) introduced H.R. 1005, the Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act, which prohibits schools from accepting money or entering into contracts with the Chinese regime and requires schools to disclose any foreign funding or contracts to the Department of Education.

“The Chinese Communist Party’s attempts to interfere with our curriculum and students is a direct threat to our national security that must be addressed,“ Joyce said. ”Protecting our children is a top priority, and this legislation is a vital step in preventing the CCP’s influence from spreading through the American education system.”

His office stated earlier this year that Confucius Classrooms are part of China’s “soft-power effort to influence policy in countries throughout the world.”

“Confucius Classroom funding comes with strings attached that compromise academic freedom,” his office stated. “The Chinese government approves teachers, events, and speakers and requires teachers to sign contracts pledging they will not damage the national interests of China.”

Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) introduced H.R. 1049, the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act.

The bill would require local educational agencies, which distribute federal funding to K–12 schools and administer federally mandated programs, to make sure that the K–12 schools they serve notify parents of foreign transactions or contracts, inform them of any personnel paid for with foreign funds, and allow parents to review curriculum provided or paid for with foreign government funds.

“American schools are for education, not espionage,“ Bean said. ”Yet this is what happens when our institutions of learning accept the Trojan horse of foreign funding. The TRACE Act puts parents back in charge, exposes foreign influence for what it is, and slams the door on hostile nations trying to reach America’s youth.”

A poll released by Parents Defending Education in January found that 91 percent of U.S. parents said school districts should disclose when they receive funds from foreign governments. Broken down by political affiliation, the poll showed that 94 percent of Republican parents and 90 percent of Democratic parents agree that such a disclosure requirement is necessary.

Frank Fang contributed to this report.