Colorado 2025 Regular Session

Colorado Senate Bill SB123 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	First Regular Session
2	2	Seventy-fifth General Assembly
3	3	STATE OF COLORADO
4	4	INTRODUCED
5	5
6	6
7	7	LLS NO. 25-0458.01 Owen Hatch x2698
8	8	SENATE BILL 25-123
9	9	Senate Committees House Committees
10	10	Education
11	11	A BILL FOR AN ACT
12	12	C
13	13	ONCERNING THE ADDITION OF GENOCIDE AGAINST NATIVE101
14	14	A
15	15	MERICANS TO THE HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE STUDIES IN102
16	16	PUBLIC SCHOOL STATUTE .103
17	17	Bill Summary
18	18	(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
19	19	not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
20	20	passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
21	21	applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
22	22	http://leg.colorado.gov
23	23	.)
24	24	The bill expands the Holocaust and genocide studies curriculum
25	25	taught in public schools to include the genocide against Native
26	26	Americans, the Sand Creek massacre and other massacres, and the
27	27	Colorado Native American residential and boarding schools.
28	28	SENATE SPONSORSHIP
29	29	Gonzales J.,
30	30	HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
31	31	Camacho,
32	32	Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
33	33	Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
34	34	Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
35	35	SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
36	36	finds and declares that:3
37	37	(a) The Sand Creek Massacre of peaceful Arapaho and Cheyenne4
38	38	Peoples by the United States Army led by John Milton Chivington on5
39	39	November 29, 1864, remains the bloodiest day in Colorado history. It6
40	40	drove entire tribes from the state, leaving their descendants to deal with7
41	41	the intergenerational effects of genocide.8
42	42	(b) While it was investigated by the authorities at the time and9
43	43	found to have been a massacre that targeted innocent Indigenous women,10
44	44	children, and men, it was not until the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of11
45	45	the massacre that then Governor John Hickenlooper provided Colorado's12
46	46	first official apology for the Sand Creek Massacre;13
47	47	(c) The Ute Tribes were also subject to massacres, such as the14
48	48	Meeker and Beaver Creek Massacres, as they were exercising their rights15
49	49	and protecting their way of life. It is important to recognize other16
50	50	massacres of Native Americans in the Holocaust and genocide studies in17
51	51	Colorado public schools statute.18
52	52	(d) Section 22-1-104.7, Colorado Revised Statutes, requiring the19
53	53	teaching of the Holocaust and genocide studies in Colorado public20
54	54	schools, was passed in 2022 after the official apology for the Sand Creek21
55	55	Massacre, but it was not specifically listed in the statute. This amendment22
56	56	rectifies this omission.23
57	57	(e) On October 25, 2024, then President Biden officially24
58	58	apologized to Native Americans for Indian boarding schools. Colorado25
59	59	Governor Polis and Lieutenant Governor Primavera concurred and26
60	60	SB25-123-2- referred to the work under House Bill 22-1327, which created the federal1
61	61	Indian boarding school research program and House Bill 24-1444, which2
62	62	recreated the federal Indian boarding school research program,3
63	63	confirming that this constituted genocide and should be taught in public4
64	64	schools alongside other massacres and crimes committed against Native5
65	65	Americans in this land.6
66	66	(f) The forcible removal of children from one group to another, in7
67	67	this case Indigenous children to boarding schools, meets the international8
68	68	definition of genocide under the United Nations Convention on the9
69	69	Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which is also10
70	70	replicated in the underlying section 22-1-104.7, Colorado Revised11
71	71	Statutes, concerning the Holocaust and genocide studies; and12
72	72	(g) This act gives meaning and recognition to the ongoing13
73	73	suffering of Native Americans and their communities from the14
74	74	intergenerational effects of genocide against them.15
75	75	(2) (a) The general assembly therefore declares that it is in the16
76	76	public interest of Colorado to add genocide against Native Americans to17
77	77	the statute requiring the Holocaust and genocide studies by explicitly18
78	78	listing genocide against Native Americans; the Sand Creek Massacre and19
79	79	other massacres of Native Americans; and Native American boarding and20
80	80	residential schools.21
81	81	(b) The act also directs the setting of standards that identify the22
82	82	knowledge and skills that students must acquire and the inclusion of23
83	83	materials in the resource bank.24
84	84	SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-1-104.7, amend25
85	85	(1)(c) and (2)(b) as follows:26
86	86	22-1-104.7. Teaching of Holocaust and genocide studies -27
87	87	SB25-123
88	88	-3- applicability - definitions. (1) As used in this section, unless the context1
89	89	otherwise requires:2
90	90	(c) "Holocaust and genocide studies" means studies on the3
91	91	Holocaust, genocide, and other acts of mass violence, including, but not4
92	92	limited to:5
93	93	(I) The Armenian Genocide;6
94	94	(II) T
95	95	HE GENOCIDE AGAINST NATIVE AMERICANS;7
96	96	(III) T
97	97	HE SAND CREEK MASSACRE AND OTHER MASSACRES ; AND8
98	98	(IV) T
99	99	HE NATIVE AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL AND BOARDING9
100	100	SCHOOLS.10
101	101	(2) (b) (I) The provisions of
102	102	Subsection (2)(a) of this section11
103	103	applies only if the standards are adopted by the state board on or before12
104	104	July 1, 2023.13
105	105	(II) S
106	106	UBSECTIONS (1)(c)(II) TO (1)(c)(IV) OF THIS SECTION APPLY14
107	107	ONLY IF THE STANDARDS ARE ADOPTED BY THE STATE BOARD ON OR15
108	108	BEFORE JULY 1, 2026.16
109	109	SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-2-127.3, amend17
110	110	(2)(a)(V) and (2)(c); and add (2)(d) as follows:18
111	111	22-2-127.3. Holocaust and genocide studies - resource bank -19
112	112	technical assistance - definitions. (2) (a) The department shall create20
113	113	and maintain a publicly available resource bank of materials pertaining21
114	114	to Holocaust and genocide courses and programs. At a minimum, the22
115	115	resource bank must include:23
116	116	(V) Case studies on the Holocaust and genocides, including, but24
117	117	not limited to:25
118	118	(A) The Armenian Genocide;26
119	119	(B) T
120	120	HE GENOCIDE AGAINST NATIVE AMERICANS;27
121	121	SB25-123
122	122	-4- (C) THE SAND CREEK MASSACRE AND OTHER MASSACRES ; AND1
123	123	(D) T
124	124	HE NATIVE AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL AND BOARDING2
125	125	SCHOOLS.3
126	126	(c) (I) The department shall ensure that the resource bank is4
127	127	available for access by school districts, charter schools, boards of5
128	128	cooperative services, and the public by July 1, 2021.6
129	129	(II) N
130	130	OTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTION (2)(c)(I) OF THIS SECTION,7
131	131	THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENSURE THAT THE RESOURCE BANK AVAILABLE8
132	132	FOR ACCESS BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS , CHARTER SCHOOLS, BOARDS OF9
133	133	COOPERATIVE SERVICES, AND THE PUBLIC INCLUDES THE RESOURCES10
134	134	DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTIONS (2)(a)(V)(B) TO (2)(a)(V)(D) OF THIS SECTION11
135	135	BY JULY 1, 2027.12
136	136	(d) T
137	137	HE MATERIALS AND CASE STUDIES DEVELOPED REGARDING13
138	138	SUBSECTIONS (2)(a)(V)(B) TO (2)(a)(V)(D) OF THIS SECTION MUST BE14
139	139	CREATED IN CONSULTATION WITH NATIVE AMERICANS AFFECTED BY15
140	140	GENOCIDE, INCLUDING THE SOUTHERN UTE AND UTE MOUNTAIN UTE16
141	141	T
142	142	RIBES.17
143	143	SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1005, amend18
144	144	(2.7)(a) as follows:19
145	145	22-7-1005. Preschool through elementary and secondary20
146	146	education - aligned standards - adoption - revisions. (2.7) (a) (I) On21
147	147	or before July 1, 2021, the state board shall adopt standards that identify22
148	148	the knowledge and skills that students should
149	149	MUST acquire as a condition23
150	150	of high school graduation related to Holocaust and genocide studies
151	151	IN24
152	152	SUBSECTION (2.7)(a)(I)(A) OF THIS SECTION, as defined in section25
153	153	22-1-104.7 (1), including, but not limited to:26
154	154	(A) The Armenian Genocide;27
155	155	SB25-123
156	156	-5- (B) THE GENOCIDE AGAINST NATIVE AMERICANS;1
157	157	(C) T
158	158	HE SAND CREEK MASSACRE AND OTHER MASSACRES ; AND2
159	159	(D) T
160	160	HE NATIVE AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL AND BOARDING3
161	161	SCHOOLS.4
162	162	(II) N
163	163	OTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTION (2.7)(a)(I) OF THIS SECTION,5
164	164	ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2026, THE STATE BOARD SHALL ADOPT6
165	165	STANDARDS THAT IDENTIFY THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THAT STUDENTS7
166	166	MUST ACQUIRE AS A CONDITION OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RELATED8
167	167	TO SUBSECTIONS (2.7)(a)(I)(B) TO (2.7)(a)(I)(D) OF THIS SECTION.9
168	168	SECTION 5. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act10
169	169	takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the11
170	170	ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except12
171	171	that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V13
172	172	of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this14
173	173	act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take15
174	174	effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in16
175	175	November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the17
176	176	official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.18
177	177	SB25-123
178	178	-6-