House File 2457 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2457 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2197) (COMPANION TO SF 2059 BY GRUENHAGEN) A BILL FOR An Act providing for education on the holocaust for students 1 and teachers in school districts. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5448HV (1) 90 je/jh
H.F. 2457 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 280.36 Education on the holocaust. 1 1. The general assembly finds all of the following: 2 a. Recent studies have shown there to be a severe lack 3 of awareness in the state of Iowa regarding historical facts 4 about the holocaust and antisemitism, and the causes and 5 ramifications thereof. 6 b. Antisemitism remains a persistent, pervasive, and 7 disturbing problem in contemporary American society. 8 c. In order to provide students with an understanding of the 9 importance of the protection of human rights and the potential 10 consequences of discrimination against and persecution of 11 Jewish people, it is a matter of high priority that students in 12 this state be educated concerning the holocaust. 13 d. Sources of free curricula and instructional materials for 14 education on the holocaust include but are not limited to the 15 United States holocaust memorial museum; yad vashem: the world 16 holocaust remembrance center; the Illinois holocaust museum and 17 education center; and echoes and reflections, a partnership of 18 the anti-defamation league, yad vashem, and the university of 19 southern California shoah foundation. 20 2. For purposes of this section, unless the context 21 otherwise requires: 22 a. Antisemitism means the same as defined in section 23 216F.1. 24 b. Holocaust means the systematic, bureaucratic, 25 state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately 26 six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its allies and 27 collaborators. 28 c. Nazi means the abbreviation for the national socialist 29 German workers party, a political party of the mass movement 30 known as national socialism under which its leader, Adolf 31 Hitler, came to power in 1933 and governed by totalitarian 32 methods until 1945. 33 d. Organization means one or more of the following 34 organizations: 35 -1- LSB 5448HV (1) 90 je/jh 1/ 5
H.F. 2457 (1) The United States holocaust memorial museum. 1 (2) Yad vashem: the world holocaust remembrance center. 2 (3) The Illinois holocaust museum and education center. 3 (4) Echoes and reflections, a partnership of the 4 anti-defamation league, yad vashem, and the university of 5 southern California shoah foundation. 6 (5) Any other entity approved for education on the holocaust 7 by the department of education. 8 3. a. No later than the school year beginning July 1, 2024, 9 the board of directors of a school district shall incorporate 10 age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction regarding 11 the holocaust for students in middle and high school into the 12 school districts educational program. Such instruction shall 13 be incorporated into existing required courses and include, at 14 minimum, the following: 15 (1) The causes and ramifications of the holocaust. 16 (2) The breadth of the history of antisemitism and 17 the holocaust, including the third reich dictatorship, 18 concentration camp system, persecution of Jews and non-Jews, 19 Jewish and non-Jewish resistance, and post-World War II trials. 20 (3) The impact of personal responsibility, civic 21 engagement, and societal response in the context of the 22 holocaust. 23 (4) The connection between national, ethnic, racial, 24 or religious intolerance and the subjects described in 25 subparagraphs (1) and (2). 26 (5) The leading role played by the United States and 27 the United States armed forces, including African American 28 soldiers, including but not limited to the Tuskegee airmen, 29 as well as Native American and Asian American soldiers, in 30 defeating the third reich and its allies and liberating Nazi 31 concentration camps. 32 (6) The definition, history, and actions taken in the face 33 of the holocaust. 34 b. School districts shall utilize appropriate public or 35 -2- LSB 5448HV (1) 90 je/jh 2/ 5
H.F. 2457 private materials, personnel, and other resources in developing 1 and implementing education on the holocaust in accordance with 2 this section. 3 4. No later than the school year beginning July 1, 2024, 4 the board of directors of a school district shall incorporate 5 education on the holocaust for teachers into the district 6 professional development plan developed pursuant to section 7 284.6 for teachers who provide instruction in courses into 8 which student instruction in accordance with subsection 3 is 9 incorporated. Such training shall cover the topics required 10 by subsection 3. School districts shall utilize appropriate 11 programs provided by an organization for such training. 12 Education on the holocaust provided to teachers in accordance 13 with this section shall be credited toward a teachers 14 individual professional development plan under section 284.6. 15 5. Annually by October 1, the department of education 16 shall submit a report to the governor and the general assembly 17 addressing the number of school districts offering education 18 on the holocaust to students and teachers in accordance with 19 this section. The department shall publish the report on the 20 departments internet site. 21 6. This section shall not be construed to diminish or 22 infringe upon any right protected under the Constitution of 23 the State of Iowa or the first amendment to the Constitution 24 of the United States. This section shall not be construed to 25 conflict with any local, state, or federal law relating to 26 discrimination. 27 Sec. 2. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 28 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 29 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 30 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 31 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 32 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 33 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 34 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 35 -3- LSB 5448HV (1) 90 je/jh 3/ 5
H.F. 2457 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 1 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 2 districts. 3 EXPLANATION 4 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 5 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 6 This bill requires each school board to incorporate 7 age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction regarding 8 the holocaust for students in middle and high school into the 9 school districts educational program. Such instruction shall 10 be incorporated into existing required courses. The bill 11 specifies the content of such instruction. School districts 12 shall utilize appropriate public or private materials, 13 personnel, and other resources in developing and implementing 14 education on the holocaust. 15 The bill requires each school board to incorporate education 16 on the holocaust for teachers into the school district 17 professional development plan for teachers who provide 18 instruction in courses into which student instruction in 19 accordance with the bill is incorporated. Such training shall 20 cover the topics specified by the bill. School districts shall 21 utilize appropriate programs provided by an organization, as 22 specified in the bill, for such training. Education on the 23 holocaust provided to teachers shall be credited toward a 24 teachers individual professional development plan. 25 A school board shall carry out the requirements for 26 education on the holocaust for students and teachers no later 27 than the school year beginning July 1, 2024. 28 The bill requires the department of education to submit 29 an annual report to the governor and the general assembly 30 addressing the number of school districts offering education 31 on the holocaust to students and teachers in accordance with 32 the bill. 33 The bill shall not be construed to diminish or infringe upon 34 any right protected under the Constitution of the State of 35 -4- LSB 5448HV (1) 90 je/jh 4/ 5
H.F. 2457 Iowa or the first amendment to the Constitution of the United 1 States. The bill shall not be construed to conflict with any 2 local, state, or federal law relating to discrimination. 3 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 4 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 5 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 6 district from state school foundation aid received by the 7 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 8 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 9 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 10 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 11 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 12 mandates included in the bill. 13 -5- LSB 5448HV (1) 90 je/jh 5/ 5