HLS 21RS-582 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 416
BY REPRESENTATIVE HODGES
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CURRICULA: Requires instruction regarding World War II and the Holocaust for middle
and high school students and training for teachers relative to such instruction
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 17:280.1 and 3996(B)(59), relative to required instruction in public schools;
3 to require public school governing authorities to provide instruction relative to World
4 War II and the Holocaust to each student in grades six through twelve; to provide for
5 the incorporation of the instruction into an existing required course; to specify
6 requirements relative to the content of the instruction; to require training for certain
7 teachers relative to such instruction; to provide for an effective date; and to provide
8 for related matters.
9Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 17:280.1 and 3996(B)(59) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 §280.1. World War II and the Holocaust; required instruction; teacher training
12 A. Each public school governing authority shall provide age and grade
13 appropriate instruction regarding World War II and the Holocaust to students in
14 grades six through twelve. Such instruction shall be incorporated into an existing
15 required course, be sequential in method of study, and include, at minimum, the
16 following:
17 (1)(a) The history of World War II and the Holocaust, including but not
18 limited to the Third Reich, the concentration camp system, anti-Semitism, the
19 persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish resistance, and the
20 Nuremberg trials.
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1 (b) The impact of personal responsibility, civic engagement, and societal
2 response in the context of World War II and the Holocaust.
3 (c) The connection between national, ethnic, racial, and religious intolerance
4 and the subjects provided in Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this Paragraph.
5 (d) The leading role played by the United States and the United States Armed
6 Forces in defeating the Third Reich and liberating Nazi concentration camps.
7 B. Each public school governing authority shall incorporate World War II
8 and Holocaust instruction training into the existing in-service training program for
9 teachers whose responsibilities include courses of study into which the instruction
10 is incorporated. This training shall cover the topics required by Subsection A of this
11 Section.
12 C.(1) Not later than March thirty-first annually, each public school
13 governing authority shall submit a written report to the state Department of
14 Education relative to the compliance of schools under its jurisdiction with the
15 instruction and training requirements of this Section. For schools that are not in
16 compliance, the report shall include an action plan to ensure compliance by the
17 beginning of the following school year.
18 (2) Not later than April thirtieth annually, the department shall submit a
19 report to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
20 Education that summarizes the information provided to the department pursuant to
21 Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.
22 D. For purposes of this Section, the following definitions shall apply:
23 (1) "Holocaust" means the systematic state-sponsored killing of six million
24 Jewish men, women, and children and five million non-Jews by Nazi Germany and
25 its collaborators during World War II.
26 (2) "Nazi" means the byname for the National Socialist German Workers'
27 Party, a political party of the mass movement known as national socialism under
28 which its leader, Adolf Hitler, came to power in 1933 and governed by totalitarian
29 methods until 1945.
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1 (3) "United States Armed Forces" means the branches of the United States
2 military or the departments of the United States military as defined in 10 U.S.C. 101.
3 * * *
4 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
5 * * *
6 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
7 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
8 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
9 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
10 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
11 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
12 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
13 * * *
14 (59) Instruction and teacher training relative to World War II and the
15 Holocaust, R.S. 17:280.1.
16 * * *
17 Section 2. The legislature finds the following:
18 (A) Recent studies have shown there to be a lack of awareness when it comes
19 to historical facts about the Holocaust, its causes, and its ramifications.
20 (B) In order to provide children with an understanding of the importance of
21 the protection of human rights and the potential consequences of unchecked
22 ignorance, discrimination, and persecution, it is a matter of high priority that they be
23 educated concerning the Holocaust.
24 (C) Sources of free curricula and instructional materials for Holocaust
25 education include but are not limited to the United States Holocaust Memorial
26 Museum, the Pennsylvania State University Center for Holocaust and Jewish
27 Studies, Echoes and Reflections, Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance
28 Center, and the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation.
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1 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
2signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
3by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
4vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
5effective on the day following such approval.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 416 Original 2021 Regular Session Hodges
Abstract: Requires instruction on World War II and the Holocaust in grades six through
12 and in-service training for teachers on such instruction.
Proposed law requires each public school governing authority to provide the following:
(1)Age and grade appropriate instruction regarding World War II the Holocaust to
students in grade 6 through 12, incorporated into an existing required course.
(2)Training for teachers whose responsibilities include courses of study into which this
instruction is incorporated.
Proposed law further provides the following:
(1)Requires each public school governing authority to submit an annual report to the
state Dept. of Education (DOE) relative to the compliance of schools under its
jurisdiction with proposed law; for those schools not in compliance, requires the
report to include an action plan to ensure compliance.
(2)Requires DOE to submit an annual report to the House and Senate education
committees summarizing the information provided to the DOE pursuant to (1) above.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:280.1 and 3996(B)(59))
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