text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Defense of Freedom Education Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
              (1) In order to preserve and defend freedom and 
          civilization, especially in these challenging times, future 
          generations of Americans must be taught to understand their 
          full significance and value, and the threats with which they 
          are faced.
              (2) Basic knowledge of United States and Western history is 
          essential to full and informed participation in civic life and 
          to the larger vibrancy of the American experiment in self-
          government, binding together a diverse people into a single 
          Nation with a common purpose.
              (3) American citizens who lack knowledge of the organizing 
          principles of Western civilization will also lack a true 
          understanding and appreciation of the democratic principles 
          that define and sustain America as a free people, such as 
          liberty, justice, tolerance, government by the consent of the 
          governed, and equality under the law.
              (4) America's colleges and universities are bellwethers of 
          national priorities and values, setting standards for the whole 
          of the United States education system and sending signals to 
          students, teachers, parents, and public schools about what 
          every educated citizen in a democracy must know.
              (5) Most of the Nation's colleges and universities no 
          longer require United States history or systematic study of 
          Western civilization as a prerequisite to graduation.
              (6) Distinguished historians and intellectuals fear that 
          without a common civic memory and a common understanding of the 
          remarkable individuals, events, and ideals that have shaped the 
          Nation, the people in the United States risk losing much of 
          what it means to be an American, as well as the ability to 
          fulfill the fundamental responsibilities of citizens in a 
          democracy.
      (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
              (1) To establish and strengthen post-secondary education 
          programs emphasizing the nature, history and philosophy of free 
          institutions, the nature of Western civilization, and the 
          nature of the threats to freedom from totalitarianism in all 
          its forms.
              (2) To develop innovative teacher education programs 
          designed to equip teachers to more effectively impart a 
          knowledge of the nature of free institutions, the threats to 
          free institutions, and the content of Western civilization to 
          elementary, middle and high school teachers.
  
  SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
  
      For purposes of this Act:
              (1) American founding.--The term ``American founding'' 
          means a field of study in an institution of higher education 
          that--
                      (A) encompasses part or all of the period of 
                  American history between the years 1607 through 1865, 
                  with particular emphasis on the years 1763-1865;
                      (B) focuses on the major events, issues and 
                  historical personages of this period;
                      (C) examines the historical antecedents of the 
                  major events, issues and historical personages 
                  described in subparagraph (B); or
                      (D) conforms with other criteria that the secretary 
                  may prescribe.
              (2) Defense of freedom.--The term ``defense of freedom'' 
          means fields of study in an institution of higher education 
          that--
                      (A) examines potent political threats to free 
                  institutions (as such term is defined in this Act), 
                  including communism, fascism, national socialism, and 
                  nihilism; or
                      (B) examines human tendencies that threaten free 
                  institutions, including tribalism, racism, caste 
                  consciousness, and zealotry; or
                      (C) examines world history in the period 1901 
                  through 2001, with particular emphasis on the years 
                  1914 to the present, in order to understand the 
                  challenges of maintaining a free society while 
                  resisting totalitarian movements of global ambition.
              (3) Eligible institution.--
                      (A) In general.--The term ``eligible institution'' 
                  means--
                              (i) institutions of higher education;
                              (ii) specific programs within an 
                          institution of higher education;
                              (iii) foundations associated with 
                          institutions of higher education or with 
                          specific programs within an institution of 
                          higher education; or
                              (iv) other nonprofit organizations 
                          participating in, or supporting, the 
                          development of academic programs described in 
                          section 2.
                      (B) Special rule.--Organizations described in 
                  subparagraph (A)(iv) may apply to award subgrants to 
                  eligible institutions at the discretion of, and subject 
                  to the oversight of, the Secretary. Grants to such 
                  organizations shall not be subject to the limitations 
                  of section 4(f).
              (4) Free institution.--The term ``free institution'', for 
          the purposes of this Act, means institutions characteristic of 
          Western Civilization, such as democracy, universalism, 
          individual rights market economics, religious freedom and 
          tolerance, and freedom of thought and inquiry.
              (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
          ``institution of higher education'' has the same meaning given 
          that term under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
          (20 U.S.C. 1001).
              (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of Education.
              (7) Western civilization.--The term ``western 
          civilization'' means a field of study in an institution of 
          higher education that--
                      (A) encompasses part or all of the period of 
                  European history between 500 B.C. and the present day;
                      (B) encompasses part or all of the period of 
                  American history between 1607 and the present day;
                      (C) focuses on major events, issues, and historical 
                  personages of the period described in subparagraphs (A) 
                  and (B); and
                      (D) examines the historical antecedents of the 
                  major events, issues, and historical personages 
                  described in subparagraph (C); or
                      (E) examines the development of free institutions 
                  characteristic of Western civilization, as such term is 
                  defined in this Act;
                      (F) examines the intellectual, cultural, political 
                  and religious underpinnings of Western civilization, 
                  such as the scientific enterprise, entrepreneurship, 
                  political pluralism, egalitarianism, moral 
                  universalism, and the belief in the possibility of 
                  progress;
                      (G) examines the characteristic negative features 
                  of Western civilization, such as totalitarianism and 
                  social Darwinism;
                      (H) examines the interaction of the West with other 
                  civilizations, the Western debt to other civilizations, 
                  and the comparative study of high civilization; or
                      (I) conforms with other criteria that the Secretary 
                  may prescribe.
  
  SEC. 4. GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.
  
      (a) In General.--From amounts appropriated to carry out this Act, 
  the Secretary shall provide, on a competitive basis, grants to eligible 
  institutions which shall be used for one or more of the following:
              (1) Research, planning, and coordination activities devoted 
          to the ends of this Act.
              (2) Design and implementation of courses and the 
          development of new, and supporting of existing, centers devoted 
          to the ends of this Act.
              (3) Research and publication costs of relevant readers and 
          other course materials devoted to the ends of this Act.
              (4) General expenses associated with carrying out this 
          section.
              (5) Salaries and expenses of faculty teaching in 
          undergraduate and graduate programs focused on the American 
          founding, defense of freedom, and Western civilization.
              (6) Support of graduate and postgraduate fellowships for 
          scholars in the fields related to the American founding, the 
          defense of freedom, and Western civilization.
              (7) Development of teacher education programs that--
                      (A) stress content mastery in history or 
                  government; and
                      (B) stress civic education preparation, including 
                  the history and philosophy of free institutions, and 
                  the study of Western civilization).
      (b) Selection Criteria.--In selecting eligible institutions for 
  grants under this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
  establish criteria by regulation.
      (c) Required Criteria.--In establishing criteria under subsection 
  (b), the Secretary shall consider the following selection criteria in 
  making grants:
              (1) Educational value, and relevance to one or more purpose 
          described in section 2 of the proposed project.
              (2) Plan of operation.
              (3) Qualification of key personnel.
              (4) Budget and cost effectiveness.
              (5) Evaluation plan.
              (6) Adequacy of resources.
              (7) Identification of need for the project.
              (8) Potential institutional impact of the project.
              (9) Institutional commitment to the project.
      (d) Grant Application.--An eligible institution that desires to 
  receive a grant under this Act shall submit to the Secretary an 
  application therefor at such time or times, or in such manner, and 
  containing such information as the Secretary may prescribe by 
  regulation. Such application shall set forth--
              (1) a program of activities for carrying out the purposes 
          described in section 2 in such detail as will enable the 
          Secretary to determine the degree to which such program will 
          accomplish such purpose; and
              (2) such other policies, procedures, and assurances as the 
          Secretary may require by regulation.
      (e) Grant Review.--The Secretary shall establish procedures for 
  reviewing and evaluating grants and contracts made or entered into 
  under such programs.
      (f) Grant Awards.--For the purposes of this Act, the Secretary 
  shall award grants of not less than $400,000 and not more than 
  $6,000,000 to eligible institutions.
      (g) Multiple Awards.--For the purposes of this Act, the Secretary 
  may award more than one grant to an eligible institution.
  
  SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      (a) For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there are authorized 
  to be appropriated--
              (1) $140,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
              (2) such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
          succeeding 5 fiscal years.
  
  SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
  
      This Act shall take effect on September 1, 2002.
target: Defense of Freedom Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to eligible institutions of higher education, foundations, and other nonprofit institutions for various activities supporting academic programs focused on the American founding, defense of freedom, Western civilization, and free institutions (focused programs).Allows use of grants for: (1) research, planning, and coordination; (2) design and implementation of courses, and development and support of centers; (3) research and publication costs of course materials; (4) associated general expenses; (5) salaries and expenses of faculty teaching in undergraduate and graduate focused programs; (6) support of graduate and postgraduate fellowships for scholars in fields related to focused programs; and (7) development of teacher education programs that stress content mastery in history or government and civic education preparation, including the history and philosophy of free institutions and the study of Western civilization.
feat_title: To strengthen secondary and post-secondary education programs emphasizing the nature, history, and philosophy of free institutions, the nature of Western civilization, and the nature of the threats to freedom from totalitarianism.