H.R. 7431: Congressional Civics Act of 2026

The bill known as the **Congressional Civics Act of 2026** aims to require all Members of Congress to demonstrate competence in American civics before they can be seated or assigned to committees. The key points of the bill include:

Examination Requirement

• Every Member of Congress must take and pass an examination to show they understand the U.S. system of government as set out by the Constitution.
• The exam will be administered at the start of each census term, which occurs every ten years.
• No individual can be seated as a Member of Congress unless they have successfully completed the examination related to their election or appointment.

Consequences of Failing the Exam

• If a new Member does not pass the examination within two weeks after their election or appointment, they cannot take their seat in Congress.
• A vacancy will then occur if the individual does not pass the exam before the stipulated time frame.

Exam Content

The examination will consist of 25 questions, randomly selected from a pool of 100. The questions will cover a variety of topics, including:

• The founding of the first colonies and factors contributing to American independence
• Events in the American Revolution
• The Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution
• The Civil War and Reconstruction
• The World Wars and significant amendments
• Concepts like civil rights, due process, and the democratic process
• The structure of government including the roles of the Congress, President, and judiciary

Committee Reports and Administration

• Congressional committees will submit a report including the examination questions and answers at least one year before the start of a census term.
• The examination will be publicly accessible for any U.S. citizen to take, free of charge.
• The Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate will jointly manage the administration of the exam.

Limitations on Attempts

• An individual can take the examination only three times per calendar year.
• However, a person newly elected or appointed to Congress has at least one opportunity to take the exam after their appointment, even if they have exhausted their attempts within that year.

Publication and Transparency

• Once approved, the examination questions and model answers will be published in the journal of the respective House of Congress.
• A database will be maintained to publicly show who has successfully completed the exam, and successful candidates can request a certificate as proof.

Effective Date

The provisions of this bill will take effect following the ratification of a related constitutional amendment proposed in 2026.

Interim Implementation for Committee Assignments

Initially, each House will establish and administer an examination framework that will be a prerequisite for committee assignments, effective immediately in the upcoming census term.

Relevant Companies

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