PROTECT Our Kids Act
Latest action · Dec 4, 2025 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 6, 2025
- Passed HouseDec 4, 2025
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids Act or the PROTECT Our Kids Act
This bill prohibits federal education funding for any elementary or secondary school that directly or indirectly receives support from the Chinese government.
Specifically, the bill prohibits such funding for any school that (1) has a partnership in effect with a cultural or language institute funded by the Chinese government, including a Confucius Institute; (2) operates a learning center supported by the Chinese government (commonly referred to as a Confucius Classroom); or (3) receives support from an individual or entity acting on behalf of the Chinese government, including support in the form of teaching materials, personnel, funds, or other resources. However, the Department of Education (ED) may issue a waiver of the prohibition if a school has an existing contract with one of these entities and the school demonstrates that the contract is for the benefit of the school and promotes the security, stability, and economy of the United States.
The bill directs ED to provide notice of the bill's requirements to schools, as well as guidance for achieving compliance with the requirements.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 6, 2025 to Feb 12, 2025; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-CA | Kevin Kiley | Original | Feb 6, 2025 |
| R-KY | Andy Barr | Feb 12, 2025 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Education and Workforce Committee | Referred Feb 6, 2025Markup Feb 12, 2025Reported Mar 5, 2025 |
| Senate | Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee | Referred Dec 4, 2025 |
Actions 14
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 4, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 247 - 164 (Roll no. 313). (text: CR H5032)
- Dec 4, 2025Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 916. (consideration: CR H5032-5036)
- Dec 4, 2025Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4312, H.R. 1005, H.R. 1049, H.R. 1069, H.R. 2965 and H.R. 4305. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4312, H.R. 1005, H.R. 1049, H.R. 1069, H.R. 2965, and H.R. 4305 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit on each bill.
- Dec 4, 2025DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 1069.
- Dec 4, 2025The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H5032–H5036Text printed H5032Recorded votes H5035enact | Burgess Owens R-UT, Kevin Hern R-OK, Kevin Kiley R-CA, Lucy McBath D-GA, Robert C. "Bobby" Scott D-VA, Tim Walberg R-MI, Young Kim R-CA | Dec 4, 2025 |
| House | Debate and remarks H4978–H4987Text printed H4978Amendments H4985Recorded votes H4986consideration (H. Res. 916), previous question | H. Morgan Griffith R-VA, James P. McGovern D-MA (amendment), Melanie A. Stansbury D-NM | Dec 2, 2025 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Feb 20, 2025H.R. 1069, PROTECT Our Kids ActAs ordered reported by the House Committee on Education and Workforce on February 12, 2025
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 171, no. 25, February 6, 2025, page H557.
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAmdt 115 | Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 916, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and Workforce now printed in the bill is considered as adopted. | Rules Committee | On agreeing to the Rules amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection. |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
Titles 10
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To prohibit the availability of Federal education funds for elementary and secondary schools that receive direct or indirect support from the Government of the People's Republic of China.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- PROTECT Our Kids Act
- Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids Act
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- PROTECT Our Kids Act
- Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- PROTECT Our Kids Act
- Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids Act
- Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- PROTECT Our Kids Act
- Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids Act
- Official Title from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text
- To prohibit the availability of Federal education funds for elementary and secondary schools that receive direct or indirect support from the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Education.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 4, 2025Referred in Senate
- Dec 4, 2025Engrossed in House
- Mar 5, 2025Reported in House
- Feb 6, 2025Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
