HLS 21RS-582 ENGROSSED
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 nine through twelve; to provide
5 for 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 nine through twelve. Such instruction shall be incorporated into an existing
15 required course, such as American History, and include, at minimum, the following:
16 (1)(a) The history of World War II and the Holocaust, including but not
17 limited to the Third Reich, the concentration camp system, anti-Semitism, the
18 persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish resistance, and the
19 Nuremberg trials.
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HB NO. 416
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
6 Armed Forces, including African American soldiers, including but not limited to the
7 Tuskegee Airmen, and Asian American soldiers, in defeating the Third Reich and
8 liberating Nazi concentration camps.
9 B. Each public school governing authority shall incorporate World War II
10 and Holocaust instruction training into the existing in-service training program or as
11 part of a professional development day for teachers whose responsibilities include
12 courses of study into which the instruction is incorporated. This training shall cover
13 the topics required by Subsection A of this Section.
14 C. In order to satisfy the requirements of this Section, each public school
15 governing authority shall make available to its schools the free curriculum from the
16 National World War II Museum in New Orleans or such other free curriculum that
17 is available from authoritative sources or postsecondary education institutions.
18 D.(1) Not later than March thirty-first annually, each public school
19 governing authority shall submit a written report to the state Department of
20 Education relative to the compliance of schools under its jurisdiction with the
21 instruction and training requirements of this Section. For schools that are not in
22 compliance, the report shall include an action plan to ensure compliance by the
23 beginning of the following school year.
24 (2) Not later than April thirtieth annually, the department shall submit a
25 report to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
26 Education that summarizes the information provided to the department pursuant to
27 Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.
28 E. For purposes of this Section, the following definitions shall apply:
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HB NO. 416
1 (1) "Holocaust" means the systematic state-sponsored killing of six million
2 Jewish men, women, and children and five million non-Jews by Nazi Germany and
3 its collaborators during World War II.
4 (2) "Nazi" means the byname for the National Socialist German Workers'
5 Party, a political party of the mass movement known as national socialism under
6 which its leader, Adolf Hitler, came to power in 1933 and governed by totalitarian
7 methods until 1945.
8 (3) "United States Armed Forces" means the branches of the United States
9 military or the departments of the United States military as defined in 10 U.S.C. 101.
10 * * *
11 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
12 * * *
13 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
14 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
15 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
16 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
17 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
18 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
19 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
20 * * *
21 (59) Instruction and teacher training relative to World War II and the
22 Holocaust, R.S. 17:280.1.
23 * * *
24 Section 2. The legislature finds the following:
25 (A) Recent studies have shown there to be a lack of awareness when it comes
26 to historical facts about the Holocaust, its causes, and its ramifications.
27 (B) In order to provide children with an understanding of the importance of
28 the protection of human rights and the potential consequences of unchecked
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1 ignorance, discrimination, and persecution, it is a matter of high priority that they be
2 educated concerning the Holocaust.
3 (C) Sources of free curricula and instructional materials for Holocaust
4 education include but are not limited to the United States Holocaust Memorial
5 Museum, the Pennsylvania State University Center for Holocaust and Jewish
6 Studies, Echoes and Reflections, Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance
7 Center, and the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation.
8 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
9signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
10by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
11vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
12effective 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 Engrossed 2021 Regular Session Hodges
Abstract: Requires instruction on World War II and the Holocaust in grades nine 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 and the Holocaust to
students in grade nine through 12, incorporated into an existing required course such
as American History. Provides specific instruction items to be included.
(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 make available to its schools the
free curriculum from the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
(2)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.
(3)Requires DOE to submit an annual report to the House and Senate education
committees summarizing the information provided to the DOE pursuant to (2) above.
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HB NO. 416
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:280.1 and 3996(B)(59))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the
original bill:
1. Require instruction in high school rather than in grades 6-12.
2. Require each public school governing authority to make available to its schools
the free curriculum from the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
3. Specify that instruction on the role of U.S. Armed Forces include African
American and Asian American members of the military.
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