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