119-hr768

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 768 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 768

 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 28, 2025

 Mr. Gottheimer (for himself, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. 
 Fitzpatrick, Ms. Stevens, Mrs. Kim, Ms. Ansari, Mr. Auchincloss, Mr. 
 Bacon, Mr. Bilirakis, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Ms. 
 Brownley, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. 
 Cisneros, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Costa, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Davis of North 
 Carolina, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mr. Doggett, Mrs. Fletcher, Ms. 
 Lois Frankel of Florida, Ms. Friedman, Mr. Garbarino, Ms. Gillen, Ms. 
 Houlahan, Ms. Hoyle of Oregon, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Kean, Mr. Kustoff, Mr. 
 LaLota, Mr. Landsman, Mr. Latimer, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Magaziner, Ms. 
 Malliotakis, Ms. McBride, Ms. Meng, Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Moulton, Mr. 
 Nadler, Mr. Norcross, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Peters, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Ryan, 
Ms. Salazar, Mr. Schneider, Ms. Scholten, Ms. Schrier, Mr. Sherman, Mr. 
 Soto, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Suozzi, Ms. Tenney, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. 
Torres of New York, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Veasey, 
 Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. 
 Amo, Ms. Morrison, and Mr. Pallone) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 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.
 <all>