An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in terms and courses of study, further providing for Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations instruction.

PRINTER'S NO. 1145
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1054
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, KENYATTA, GUENST, SANCHEZ, MADDEN,
BRENNAN, M. MACKENZIE, WAXMAN, PIELLI, PROBST, HILL-EVANS,
HOWARD, MALAGARI, NEILSON, FREEMAN, CIRESI, SHUSTERMAN,
GILLEN, STEELE AND SCHLOSSBERG, MARCH 26, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 26, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in terms and courses of study,
further providing for Holocaust, genocide and human rights
violations instruction.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1554(a)(1), (b), (c), (d)(1), (e), (f)(1)
introductory paragraph and (2) and (g) of the act of March 10,
1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
are amended to read:
Section 1554. Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights
Violations Instruction.--(a) (1) Beginning with school year
[2015-2016] 2027-2028, each school entity [may] shall offer
instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
violations to students. The instruction shall be integrated
within the social studies and language arts courses of study
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required in accordance with State Board of Education
regulations. Instruction may also be integrated into other
appropriate courses of study.
* * *
(b) (1) The Department of Education shall establish
curriculum guidelines no later than twelve (12) months after the
effective date of this section. The Department of Education
shall update the guidelines no later than the beginning of the
2027-2028 school year. The guidelines shall encourage the
inclusion of all of the following subjects where appropriate in
the instruction:
(i) The breadth of the history of the Holocaust, including
the Third Reich dictatorship, concentration camp system,
persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish
resistance and post-World War II trials.
(ii) The definition, history, response and actions taken in
the face of genocide, including the Holocaust and any other
genocide perpetrated against humanity, including the Rwandan
genocide and other genocides committed in Australia, North
America, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe.
(iii) Human rights violations.
(iv) Anti-Semitism, racism, indigenous tribes and slavery,
the Jim Crow era in the United States, different forms of
apartheid government and the abridgment of civil rights.
(2) The Department of Education shall work in consultation
with organizations and individuals that provide educational
expertise and resources related to the Holocaust, genocide and
human rights violations to develop the curriculum guidelines.
[The guidelines shall state the minimum amount of instruction
necessary to adequately educate students on the Holocaust,
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genocide and human rights violations.]
(c) Beginning with the [2015-2016] 2027-2028 school year,
the Department of Education shall make available, to all school
entities, in-service training programs based upon the
instruction provided for under subsection (a) and the curriculum
guidelines established [pursuant to] and updated under
subsection (b).
(d) (1) Beginning with the [2015-2016] 2027-2028 school
year, each school entity providing instruction under subsection
(a) shall provide, as part of its in-service training, programs
on the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations for all
instructors whose teaching responsibilities include courses of
study in which instruction concerning the Holocaust, genocide
and human rights violations is integrated. A school entity may
utilize the programs made available by the Department of
Education or use other alternative programs that are consistent
with the provisions of this section.
* * *
[(e) The Department of Education shall provide the
guidelines, in-service training and any other materials
developed in accordance with this section to any nonpublic
school within this Commonwealth upon receiving a request from
the nonpublic school.]
(f) The State Board of Education shall:
(1) Conduct a study regarding the manner in which
instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
violations is offered by school entities in this Commonwealth.
In conducting the study, the State Board of Education shall
request that each school entity provide the State Board of
Education with information concerning whether the school entity
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offers such instruction and the manner in which such instruction
is offered. Each school entity shall provide information to the
State Board of Education in response to a request under this
paragraph. Following the 2016-2017 and 2028-2029 school [year]
years, but not later than November 30, 2017, and November 30,
2029, the State Board of Education shall issue a report to the
Governor, the Secretary of Education, the Chairman and Minority
Chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate and the
Chairman and Minority Chairman of the Education Committee of the
House of Representatives addressing the following:
* * *
(2) Adopt a regulation, pursuant to the act of June 25, 1982
(P.L.633, No.181), known as the "Regulatory Review Act," to
require school entities to offer instruction in the Holocaust,
genocide and human rights violations that is consistent with
subsections (a) and (b)[, if the study conducted by the State
Board of Education under paragraph (1) demonstrates that less
than ninety percent of the school entities are offering
instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
violations consistent with subsections (a) and (b)].
* * *
(g) [For purposes of this section, the term "school entity"
shall mean a school district, charter school, regional charter
school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit or area career
and technical school.] As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Human rights violations." The term includes torture or
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged
detention without charges and trial, causing disappearance of
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persons by the abduction and clandestine detention of those
persons and other flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty
or the security of person.
"Nonpublic school." As defined in section 922.1-A(b).
"School entity." A school district, charter school, regional
charter school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit, area
career and technical school or nonpublic school.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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