Stop the Sexualization of Children Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7661 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7661

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit
    the use of funds provided under such Act to develop, implement,
facilitate, host, or promote any program or activity for, or to provide
or promote literature or other materials to, children under the age of
  18 that includes sexually oriented material, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 2026

   Mrs. Miller of Illinois (for herself, Mr. Downing, Mr. Fine, Mr.
 Steube, Mr. Gosar, Mr. Ogles, Ms. Hageman, Mr. Stutzman, Mr. Moore of
Alabama, Mrs. Biggs of South Carolina, Ms. Letlow, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Roy,
 Mr. Davidson, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Rose, Mr. Owens, and Mr. Self)
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
                        Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit
    the use of funds provided under such Act to develop, implement,
facilitate, host, or promote any program or activity for, or to provide
or promote literature or other materials to, children under the age of
  18 that includes sexually oriented material, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop the Sexualization of Children
Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING FUNDING FOR SEXUALLY ORIENTED MATERIAL.

    Section 8526 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7906) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``No funds under this Act may be used--''
        and inserting the following:
    ``(a) General Prohibitions.--No funds under this Act may be used--
''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Prohibiting Funding for Sexually Oriented Material.--
            ``(1) In general.--No funds under this Act may be used to
        develop, implement, facilitate, host, or promote any program or
        activity for, or to provide or promote literature or other
        materials to, children under the age of 18 that includes
        sexually oriented material, including any program, activity,
        literature, or material that exposes such children to nude
        adults, individuals who are stripping, or lewd or lascivious
        dancing.
            ``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection
        shall be construed to prohibit the use of funds under this Act
        for, or otherwise limit or interfere with, teaching--
                    ``(A) standard science coursework, including
                biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, cytology,
                genetics, ecology, human health, or human anatomy and
                physiology;
                    ``(B) the texts of major world religions;
                    ``(C) classic works of literature; or
                    ``(D) classic works of art.
            ``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Classic works of art.--The term `classic
                works of art' means the works of art depicted,
                referenced, or otherwise represented in Smarthistory
                guide to AP Art History, volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
                (2019-2020), published by Smarthistory.
                    ``(B) Classic works of literature.--The term
                `classic works of literature' means the works of
                literature (including translations of such works)--
                            ``(i) included in the Great Books of the
                        Western World (second edition, 1990), published
                        by Encyclopaedia Britannica;
                            ``(ii) referenced in the article `Classics
                        Every Middle Schooler Should Read' by Thomas
                        Purifoy, Jr. and published by Compass Classroom
                        (as such article appeared on the date of
                        enactment of this subsection); and
                            ``(iii) referenced in the article `Classics
                        Every High Schooler Should Read' by Mary
                        Pierson Purifoy and published by Compass
                        Classroom (as such article appeared on the date
                        of enactment of this subsection).
                    ``(C) Sexually oriented material.--The term
                `sexually oriented material' means material that--
                            ``(i) includes any depiction, description,
                        or simulation of sexually explicit conduct (as
                        defined in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section
                        2256(2) of title 18, United States Code); or
                            ``(ii) involves gender dysphoria or
                        transgenderism.''.
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