HEAL Act

To require a study on Holocaust education efforts of States, local educational agencies, and public elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act HEAL Act 2. Study and report on holocaust education (a) Study Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (referred to in this Act as the Director (1) all States; (2) a nationally representative sample of local educational agencies; and (3) a representative sample of schools within 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 require Holocaust education as part of the curriculum taught in public elementary and secondary schools; (2) identify States and local educational agencies that have optional Holocaust education as part of the curriculum taught in public elementary and secondary schools; (3) identify each State’s standards and local educational agency’s requirements relating to Holocaust education and summarize the status of the implementation of such standards, 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; and (C) the involvement of informal educational organizations in implementing Holocaust education, including museums and cultural centers; (4) determine whether public elementary and secondary schools use the following strategies in their Holocaust education, including through the qualitative and quantitative analysis of such indicators as— (A) in-class discussion; (B) educational activities conducted outside the classroom, including homework assignments and experiential learning involving State and local organizations, such as museums and cultural centers; (C) project based learning; (D) educational materials and activities that are developmentally appropriate and taught through a trauma-informed lens; and (E) 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) the duration of the periods in which Holocaust education is taught in public elementary and secondary schools; and (B) the comprehensiveness of the Holocaust education curriculum taught in such schools, as indicated by the extent to which the curriculum addresses all elements and aspects of the Holocaust; and (7) identify the approaches used by such schools to assess outcomes using traditional and nontraditional assessments, including asessments 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) three years after the date of the enactment of this section. (d) Definitions In this Act: (1) ESEA terms The terms elementary school local educational agency secondary school State 20 U.S.C. 7801 (2) Holocaust The term Holocaust Public Law 116–141 36 U.S.C. 2301 (3) Holocaust education The term Holocaust education (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

Summary: Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons Act or the HEAL Act This bill directs the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to study and report on Holocaust education efforts in states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and public elementary and secondary schools. Among other elements, the study must (1) determine whether states and LEAs require Holocaust education as part of the curriculum taught in public elementary and secondary schools, (2) identify the standards and requirements relating to Holocaust education, and (3) identify the types of instructional material used to teach students about the Holocaust.