This legislation, known as the "Congressional Civics Act of 2026," is designed to implement a proposed constitutional amendment that would require all Members of Congress to demonstrate competence in American civics. Upon ratification of the amendment, newly elected or appointed members would be prohibited from being seated in either the House or Senate unless they successfully pass a mandated civics examination. Failure to pass this examination within two weeks of election or appointment would result in a vacancy.

The examination will comprise 25 questions randomly selected from a pool of 100 approved questions, covering 20 specific topics related to American history, constitutional principles, and government structure. These topics range from the founding of the colonies and the American Revolution to the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, federalism, and the three branches of government.

Congressional committees are tasked with proposing the examination questions, model answers, and the required passing score, which will then be considered and approved by a joint session of Congress. Once approved, the questions and answers will be published and made publicly accessible. The exam will be administered jointly by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate, and any U.S. citizen may take it online, with a limit of three attempts per calendar year.

Furthermore, the bill includes an interim implementation, effective for the 120th Congress, which requires Members of Congress to pass a similar civics examination to be eligible for committee assignments. This interim provision operates under the rulemaking power of each House and will terminate once the constitutional amendment requiring the civics exam for seating Members takes effect. The content of this interim examination mirrors that of the main requirement, focusing on the same 20 civics topics.