Sen. Cruz Introduces TRACE Act to Safeguard Schools from Foreign Adversaries
“The House has already passed this bill. I urge my Senate colleagues to take it up expeditiously and pass it.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act to enhance transparency for parents regarding the influence of foreign funding in schools. This legislation is a companion to Rep. Aaron Bean’s (R-Fla.-4) legislation passed in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Upon filing, Sen. Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party expends vast resources to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think. The CCP continues to target American educational institutions, as do other foreign adversaries. The TRACE Act will give parents the transparency they need and deserve, and help safeguard classrooms from foreign influence. The House has already passed this bill. I urge my Senate colleagues to take it up expeditiously and pass it.”
Rep. Bean said, “American schools are for education, not espionage. We cannot allow our students—the future of our great nation—to be corrupted by foreign adversaries who are systematically and aggressively attempting to influence our nation’s K-12 schools. That’s why it’s so important we solidify the rights of parents to know how foreign influence may be impacting their child’s classroom and take concrete steps to deter the ability of foreign nations to reach America’s youth. I want to thank Senator Cruz for joining me in this critical effort and spearheading this legislation in the Senate.”
This legislation is supported by Parents Defending Education Action and Concerned Women for America.
Michele Exner, Director of Federal Affairs, Parents Defending Education Action said, “When parents send their children to school, they should have the peace of mind in knowing where the education funds are coming from. Unfortunately, there is alarming evidence found by our partner organization, Parents Defending Education, showing foreign nations, particularly adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, are trying to use America's classrooms to advance their strategic objectives at our country's expense. We cannot allow this to happen. That is why we applaud Sen. Cruz's leadership on introducing the Senate companion legislation to the TRACE Act to help parents have the transparency they deserve to have. America's future is at stake.”
Penny Nance, CEO and President, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee said, “Parents should know what their kids are being taught in school, period, but especially if that curriculum is being funded by foreign governments. We know that China and other nations do not have America's best interests at heart and yet are pouring millions of dollars into our education system. The TRACE Act affirms a parent's right to know what that money is going towards.”
Read the full text of the legislation here.
BACKGROUND
The Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act will:
- Require schools to allow parents the opportunity to review any curriculum that has been provided by or purchased with foreign funds.
- Require that schools notify parents of any foreign contracts or financial transactions they partake in.
- Stipulate that parents be notified of how many school employees, if any, are being compensated by another country or foreign adversary and whether foreign nations have donated to the institution.
The legislation is also intended as a complement to the Parents Bill of Rights legislation crafted by Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.-03) that passed the House in 2023. That legislation would give parents more than a dozen stipulated “rights” that provide more access to and transparency over their child's daily learning. The Parents Bill of Rights has not passed the Senate.
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