EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0837*
SENATE BILL 837
F1 3lr1386
CF 3lr3025
By: Senators Kramer, Brooks, Corderman, Elfreth, Gile, Griffith, Ready,
Waldstreicher, and Lewis Young
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2023
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
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 SENATE BILL 837
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 A SSEMBLY 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 SCHOOL S THAT PARTICIPATE 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 INSTRUCT ION; AND 31
(2) REVISE AND ENHANCE REQUIRED HOLOCAUST INSTRUCTION IN 32 SENATE BILL 837 3
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL , AND HIGH SCHOOL CURR ICULA. 1
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 2
(1) REVISE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES FRAME WORK 3
FOR GRADE S 4 AND 5 TO INCORPORATE INSTRUCTION ADDRESSING THE 4
HOLOCAUST WITHIN THE GRADE 5 UNIT; 5
(2) REVISE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES FRAMEWORK FOR 6
GRADES 6 AND 7 TO INCORPORATE A STUDY OF THE ROOTS OF ANTISEMITISM THAT 7
LED TO THE HOLOCAUST TO HELP STUDENTS CONTEX TUALIZE THE STUDY OF THE 8
HOLOCAUST IN HIGH SCHOOL ; AND 9
(3) REVISE THE HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY FRAMEWORK TO 10
STRENGTHEN THE REQUI RED HOLOCAUST INSTRUCTION IN: 11
(I) THE UNITED STATES HISTORY CURRICULUM , TO REQUIRE 12
STUDENTS TO STUDY THE AMERICAN RESPONSE TO THE HOLOCAUST BY FIRST 13
UNDERSTANDING THE OR IGINS OF THE HOLOCAUST; AND 14
(II) THE MODERN WORLD HISTORY CURRICULUM , TO REQUIRE 15
STUDENTS TO EVALUATE THE CAUSE , COURSE, AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 16
HOLOCAUST. 17
(D) (1) BEGINNING IN THE 2024–2025 SCHOOL YEAR , ALL PUBLIC 18
SCHOOLS AND ALL NONP UBLIC SCHOOLS THAT P ARTICIPATE IN STATE–FUNDED 19
EDUCATION PROGRAMS S HALL INCLUDE THE REVISED AND ENHANCED HOLOCAUST 20
INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOL CURRICULA . 21
(2) EACH COUNTY BOARD SHALL DEDICATE A PORTION OF TITLE II 22
FUNDS FOR SUBSTANTIVE PROFESSI ONAL DEVELOPMENT ON TEACHING THE 23
HOLOCAUST. 24
(E) EACH NONPUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL , AND HIGH 25
SCHOOL THAT DOES NOT PARTIC IPATE IN STATE–FUNDED EDUCATION PRO GRAMS 26
IS ENCOURAGED TO INCLUD E IN THE CURRICULUM A UNIT OF INSTRUCTIO N ON THE 27
HOLOCAUST IN ACCORDANCE WITH GUIDELINES ADOPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT 28
UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 29
(F) FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR , THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 30
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $500,000 TO THE DEPARTMENT TO 31
IMPLEMENT THE HOLOCAUST INSTRUCTION REVISIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS 32
REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION. 33 4 SENATE BILL 837
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2023. 2