Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act

Subjects: Education


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1273 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1273

  To require a study on Holocaust education efforts of States, local 
educational agencies, and public elementary and secondary schools, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 25, 2023

Ms. Rosen (for herself and Mr. Lankford) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require a study on Holocaust education efforts of States, local 
educational agencies, and public elementary and secondary schools, 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 ``Holocaust Education and Antisemitism 
Lessons Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY AND REPORT ON HOLOCAUST EDUCATION.

    (a) Study.--Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the United States Holocaust 
Memorial Museum (referred to in this Act as the ``Director'') shall 
conduct a study on Holocaust education efforts in States, local 
educational agencies, and public elementary schools and secondary 
schools. Such study shall include an examination of--
            (1) all States;
            (2) a nationally representative sample of local educational 
        agencies; and
            (3) a representative sample of public elementary and 
        secondary schools served by the local educational agencies 
        being studied.
    (b) Elements.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the 
Director shall--
            (1) determine whether States and local educational agencies 
        being studied require Holocaust education as part of the 
        curriculum taught in public elementary schools and secondary 
        schools;
            (2) identify States and local educational agencies being 
        studied that have optional Holocaust education as part of the 
        curriculum taught in public elementary schools and secondary 
        schools;
            (3) identify each State's standards and the requirements of 
        the local educational agencies being studied relating to 
        Holocaust education and summarize the status of the 
        implementation of such standards and requirements, including--
                    (A) the existence of a centralized apparatus at the 
                State or local level that collects and disseminates 
                Holocaust education curricula and materials;
                    (B) the existence of Holocaust education 
                professional development opportunities for pre-service 
                and in-service teachers;
                    (C) the involvement of informal educational 
                organizations in implementing Holocaust education, 
                including museums and cultural centers;
                    (D) an assessment of the challenges or gaps that 
                may prevent educators from fulfilling Holocaust 
                education requirements;
                    (E) the identification of training and resources 
                needed to support educators teaching about the 
                Holocaust; and
                    (F) the adoption of United States Holocaust 
                Memorial Museum resources by--
                            (i) entities at the State or local level 
                        that disseminate Holocaust education curricula; 
                        or
                            (ii) local Holocaust museums and centers;
            (4) determine--
                    (A) the range of intended outcomes from a Holocaust 
                education unit at the State and local educational 
                agency level; and
                    (B) the methods teachers are using that result in 
                successfully achieving intended learning outcomes, 
                which may include--
                            (i) in-class discussion;
                            (ii) educational activities conducted 
                        outside the classroom, including homework 
                        assignments and experiential learning involving 
                        State and local organizations, such as museums 
                        and cultural centers;
                            (iii) project based learning;
                            (iv) educational materials and activities 
                        that are developmentally appropriate and taught 
                        through a trauma-informed lens; and
                            (v) integration of lessons from the 
                        Holocaust across the curriculum and throughout 
                        the school year;
            (5) identify the types of instructional materials used to 
        teach students about the Holocaust, including the use of 
        primary source material;
            (6) identify--
                    (A) in what disciplines the Holocaust is being 
                taught;
                    (B) the amount of time allotted in the required 
                curriculum to teach about the Holocaust; and
                    (C) the comprehensiveness of the Holocaust 
                education curriculum taught in public elementary 
                schools and secondary schools, as indicated by the 
                extent to which the curriculum addresses all elements 
                and aspects of the Holocaust and is based on reliable 
                educational resources, such as resources provided by 
                the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; and
            (7) identify the approaches used by public elementary 
        schools and secondary schools to assess outcomes using 
        traditional and nontraditional assessments, including 
        assessments of--
                    (A) students' knowledge of the Holocaust; and
                    (B) students' ability to identify and analyze 
                antisemitism, bigotry, hate, and genocide in historical 
                and contemporary contexts.
    (c) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Following the completion of the study 
        under subsection (a), the Director shall prepare and submit to 
        Congress a report on the results of the study.
            (2) Deadline for submittal.--The report under paragraph (1) 
        shall be submitted not later than the earlier of--
                    (A) 180 days after the completion of the study 
                under subsection (a); or
                    (B) 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
                Act.
    (d) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local 
        educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and ``State'' have 
        the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (2) Holocaust.--The term ``Holocaust'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 3 of the Never Again Education Act 
        (Public Law 116-141; 36 U.S.C. 2301 note).
            (3) Holocaust education.--The term ``Holocaust education'' 
        means educational activities that are specifically intended--
                    (A) to improve students' awareness and 
                understanding of the Holocaust;
                    (B) to educate students on the lessons of the 
                Holocaust as a means to raise awareness about the 
                importance of preventing genocide, hate, and bigotry 
                against any group of people; and
                    (C) to study the history of antisemitism, its deep 
                historical roots, the use of conspiracy theories and 
                propaganda that target the Jewish people, and the 
                shape-shifting nature of antisemitism over time.
            (4) Project based learning.--The term ``project based 
        learning'' means a teaching method through which students learn 
        by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful 
        projects.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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