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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2671 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 500
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Vanna Howard and Sean Garballey
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act concerning Asian Pacific Islander Desi American history education.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/19/2023Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex1/19/2023Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex1/26/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex2/2/2023Michelle M. DuBois10th Plymouth2/7/2023Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/13/2023James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex3/13/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2671 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 500
By Representatives Howard of Lowell and Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 500) of Vanna Howard, Sean Garballey and others for legislation to include
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American history education in school curriculum. Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act concerning Asian Pacific Islander Desi American history education.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. There shall be included in the 2023-2024 school year curriculum and all
2subsequent curriculums learning, discussion, and exploration into the history of APIDA
3individuals, and their history relating to the United States. This instruction of both local and
4national history will serve to give all students a more comprehensive and accurate narrative of
5the US population as a whole. This instruction may be modified to fit the needs of an individual
6community but must fully comply with the criteria detailed in Section 4.
7 SECTION 2. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a
8separate fund to be known as the APIDA History Education Trust Fund for the purpose of
9educating elementary, middle, and high school students on APIDA history. The commissioner of
10elementary and secondary education shall administer the fund to assist in promoting the teaching
11of human rights issues in all public schools and school districts. There shall be credited to the
12fund: (i) funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations to further 2 of 3
13APIDA history education; (ii) revenue from fines imposed for a hate crime or civil rights
14violation pursuant to section 37 or section 39 of chapter 265; and (iv) interest earned on money
15in the fund.
16 SECTION 3. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
17section:-
18 Section 99. (a) The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
19will update the state History and Social Science Curriculum Frameworks for elementary, middle,
20and high school students to include the history of Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans.
21 (b) APIDA history is the history of Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans. The term
22encompasses a diverse group of identities, and refers to a US citizen or resident of Asian birth or
23descent. Updated curricula will include the political, economic, cultural, and social influence of
24Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans as well as their individual contributions to science and
25technology, culture and the arts, and professions such as business, law, medicine, education,
26politics, and economics.
27 (c) Every school district shall, for the purpose of educating elementary, middle, and high
28school students, provide instruction on the history of Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans as
29aligned to, but not limited to, the content standards articulated in the history and social science
30curriculum frameworks adopted by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary
31Education.
32 (d) Instruction on APIDA history shall be consistent within the History and Social
33Science Curriculum Framework to: (i) promote the teaching of diverse perspectives in all
34publicly funded schools and school districts, with particular attention to the study of the 3 of 3
35achievements of APIDA people; (ii) address how the history and patterns of prejudice and racism
36have impacted APIDA people; and (iii) reject the targeting of a APIDA populations and other
37forms of prejudice that can lead to systemic racism in an effort to be more anti-racist.
38 (e) The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and the Department of
39Elementary and Secondary Education shall assist schools in providing instruction on the history
40of APIDA people by facilitating access to high-quality curricular materials.
41 (f) The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will provide training for
42educators in the teaching of APIDA history in person or through the use of synchronous audio,
43video, electronic media, or other telecommunications technology.
44 (g) Nothing in this section shall require a school district to require APIDA history
45instruction in every year of elementary, middle school, and high school; provided, however, that
46APIDA history education and instruction shall be utilized during appropriate times in
47elementary, middle, and high school curricula, as determined by the local school district and in
48conjunction with state curricular standards.
49 SECTION 4. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall annually
50assess whether each district is meeting the updated curricular standards with APIDA history set
51by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; if they assess that they are not
52already meeting the curricular standards, each district superintendent shall be expected to work
53with their history and social science departments to improve their curriculum to meet the
54standards. To do so, they may use funds provided by the APIDA History Education Trust Fund.
55 SECTION 5. Sections 1, 2, and 4 shall take effect for the school year beginning after July
561, 2023.