EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXIS TING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1241*
HOUSE BILL 1241
F1 3lr3025
CF SB 837
By: Delegate Attar
Introduced and read first time: February 15, 2023
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Curriculum – Study of the Holocaust 2
(Educate to Stop the Hate Act) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Department of Education to develop certain 4
guidelines on or before a certain date and to revise and enhance instruction about 5
the Holocaust in public schools for certain elementary, middle, and high school grade 6
levels; requiring all public schools and certain nonpublic schools to include the 7
revised and enhanced Holocaust instruction in school curricula beginning in a 8
certain school year; requiring county boards of education to dedicate Title II funds 9
for professional development related to teaching the history of the Holocaust; 10
encouraging certain nonpublic schools to include in the curriculum a unit of 11
instruction on the Holocaust; and generally relating to the study of the Holocaust in 12
school curricula. 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Education 15
Section 7–132 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume) 18
Preamble 19
WHEREAS, The Holocaust was a historical event that resulted in the systematic, 20
state–sponsored mass murder of 6,000,000 Jews and millions of other people by Nazi 21
Germany in the name of racial purity; and 22
WHEREAS, The Holocaust was a watershed event in the course of human history, 23
not an accident in history; it occurred because individuals, organizations, and governments 24
made choices that legalized discrimination leading to prejudice, hatred, and mass murder; 25
and 26
2 HOUSE BILL 1241
WHEREAS, Social media and technology are being used to disseminate false and 1
inaccurate information about the Holocaust; and 2
WHEREAS, Recent surveys have revealed that Americans have fundamental gaps 3
in their knowledge of Holocaust history, particularly individuals between the ages of 18 4
and 34; and 5
WHEREAS, Education is fundamental in ensuring that the Holocaust is not 6
forgotten and, therefore, repeated; and 7
WHEREAS, Holocaust education will help students understand the roots and 8
ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping; develop an awareness of the value of 9
pluralism and diversity; explore the dangers of remaining silent, apathetic, and indifferent 10
to the oppression of others; and learn how the abuse of power can lead to the 11
implementation of destructive policies resulting in government–sponsored policies ranging 12
from social engineering to genocide; and 13
WHEREAS, It is the intent of the General Assembly that the lessons of the Holocaust 14
and genocide be taught to the students of Maryland to ensure that the unique tragedy that 15
is the Holocaust as well as other genocides that have occurred throughout the world are 16
never forgotten and that individuals better understand how to prevent these types of events 17
in the future; now, therefore, 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Education 21
7–132. 22
(A) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 23
(1) ALL PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, MIDDLE SCHOOLS , AND 24
HIGH SCHOOLS ; AND 25
(2) ALL NONPUBLIC ELEMENT ARY SCHOOLS, MIDDLE SCHOOLS , AND 26
HIGH SCHOOLS THAT PA RTICIPATE IN STATE–FUNDED EDUCATION PRO GRAMS. 27
(B) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2024, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 28
(1) DEVELOP GUIDELINES FO R INSTRUCTIONAL CONT ENT ON THE 29
HOLOCAUST THAT IS AGE –APPROPRIATE , INTERDISCIPLINARY , AND CONSISTENT 30
WITH OTHER REQUIRED GRADE LEVEL IN STRUCTION; AND 31
(2) REVISE AND ENHANCE RE QUIRED HOLOCAUST INSTRUCTION IN 32
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SC HOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL , AND HIGH SCHOOL CURR ICULA. 33 HOUSE BILL 1241 3
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 1
(1) REVISE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIE S FRAMEWORK 2
FOR GRADES 4 AND 5 TO INCORPORATE INSTRUCTIO N ADDRESSING THE 3
HOLOCAUST WITHIN THE GRADE 5 UNIT; 4
(2) REVISE THE MIDDLE SCH OOL SOCIAL STUDIES F RAMEWORK FOR 5
GRADES 6 AND 7 TO INCORPORATE A STU DY OF THE ROOTS OF A NTISEMITISM THAT 6
LED TO THE HOLOCAUST TO HELP STU DENTS CONTEXTUALIZE THE STUDY OF THE 7
HOLOCAUST IN HIGH SCH OOL; AND 8
(3) REVISE THE HIGH SCHOO L HISTORY FRAMEWORK TO 9
STRENGTHEN THE REQUI RED HOLOCAUST INSTRUCTION IN: 10
(I) THE UNITED STATES HISTORY CURRIC ULUM, TO REQUIRE 11
STUDENTS TO STUDY TH E AMERICAN RESPONSE TO THE HOLOCAUST BY FIRST 12
UNDERSTANDING THE OR IGINS OF THE HOLOCAUST; AND 13
(II) THE MODERN WORLD HIST ORY CURRICULUM , TO REQUIRE 14
STUDENTS TO EVALUATE THE CAUSE, COURSE, AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 15
HOLOCAUST. 16
(D) (1) BEGINNING IN THE 2024–2025 SCHOOL YEAR , ALL PUBLIC 17
SCHOOLS AND ALL NONP UBLIC SCHOOLS THAT P ARTICIPATE IN STATE–FUNDED 18
EDUCATION PROGRAMS S HALL INCLUDE THE REV ISED AND ENHANCED HOLOCAUST 19
INSTRUCTION IN SCHOO L CURRICULA. 20
(2) EACH COUNTY BOARD SHA LL DEDICATE A PORTIO N OF TITLE II 21
FUNDS FOR SUBSTANTIV E PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMEN T ON TEACHING THE 22
HOLOCAUST. 23
(E) EACH NONPUBLIC ELEMEN TARY SCHOOL , MIDDLE SCHOOL , AND HIGH 24
SCHOOL THAT DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN STATE–FUNDED EDUCATION PRO GRAMS 25
IS ENCOURAGED TO INC LUDE IN THE CURRICUL UM A UNIT OF INSTRUC TION ON THE 26
HOLOCAUST IN ACCORDANCE WITH GUIDELINES ADOP TED BY THE DEPARTMENT 27
UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 28
(F) FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR , THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 29
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $500,000 TO THE DEPARTMENT TO 30
IMPLEMENT THE HOLOCAUST INSTRUCTION REVISION S AND ENHANCEMENTS 31
REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION. 32
4 HOUSE BILL 1241
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2023. 2