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PRINTER'S NO. 76
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 127
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, BROOKS, BROWN, ARGALL AND HUTCHINSON,
JANUARY 22, 2025
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 22, 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,
repealing provisions relating to Holocaust, genocide and
human rights violations instruction and providing for
Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations instruction
required.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1554 of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
repealed:
[Section 1554. Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights
Violations Instruction.--(a) (1) Beginning with school year
2015-2016, each school entity may 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 required in accordance with State
Board of Education regulations. Instruction may also be
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integrated into other appropriate courses of study.
(2) The Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations
instruction permitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall:
(i) Be age appropriate.
(ii) Be sequential in method of study.
(iii) Communicate the connection between national, ethnic,
racial or religious intolerance and the subjects described in
subsection (b).
(iv) Communicate the impact of personal responsibility,
civic engagement and societal response within the context of the
subjects described in subsection (b).
(3) School entities may utilize any appropriate public or
private materials, personnel and other resources in developing
and implementing the program of instruction permitted pursuant
to paragraph (1). The Department of Education shall distribute
information about appropriate curriculum materials to each
school entity. School entities may utilize any curriculum that
complies with the requirements of this subsection.
(b) (1) The Department of Education shall establish
curriculum guidelines no later than twelve (12) months after the
effective date of this section. 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
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genocide and other genocides committed in Africa, Asia and
Europe.
(iii) Human rights violations.
(iv) Anti-Semitism, racism 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,
genocide and human rights violations.
(c) Beginning with the 2015-2016 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 subsection (b).
(d) (1) Beginning with the 2015-2016 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.
(2) Employes required to complete continuing professional
education under section 1205.2 shall receive credit toward the
continuing professional education requirements where the
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training program provided pursuant to paragraph (1) has been
approved by the Department of Education.
(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
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 school year, but not later
than November 30, 2017, 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:
(i) The number of school entities offering instruction in
the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations.
(ii) The number of school entities using the curriculum
guidelines established by the Department of Education under
subsection (b).
(iii) The number of school entities using the in-service
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training programs made available by the Department of Education
under subsection (c).
(iv) A description of the manner in which school entities
are offering instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human
rights violations, including the number of hours of instruction
offered, the grade levels at which such instruction is offered
and the course within such instruction is integrated.
(v) The recommendations for improvements to the offering of
instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
violations, including recommended legislation.
(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).
(3) Adopt rules and regulations necessary for the
implementation of this section pursuant to the "Regulatory
Review Act."
(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.]
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 1554.1. Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights
Violations Instruction Required.--(a) (1) Beginning with
school year 2026-2027, a school entity shall offer instruction
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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 required in
accordance with State Board of Education regulations.
Instruction may also be integrated into other appropriate
courses of study.
(2) The Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations
instruction under paragraph (1) shall:
(i) Be age appropriate.
(ii) Be sequential in method of study.
(iii) Communicate the connection between national, ethnic,
racial or religious intolerance and the subjects described in
subsection (b).
(iv) Communicate the impact of personal responsibility,
civic engagement and societal response within the context of the
subjects described in subsection (b).
(3) A school entity may utilize appropriate public or
private materials, personnel and other resources in developing
and implementing the instruction under paragraph (1). The
department shall make available information about appropriate
curriculum materials to school entities. A school entity may
utilize any curriculum that complies with the requirements of
this subsection.
(b) (1) The department shall review and update existing
curriculum guidelines as necessary. The guidelines shall
encourage the inclusion 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
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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 Africa, Asia and
Europe.
(iii) Human rights violations.
(iv) Anti-Semitism, racism and the abridgment of civil
rights.
(2) The department shall work in consultation with
organizations and individuals that provide educational expertise
and resources related to the Holocaust, genocide and human
rights violations to review and update existing curriculum
guidelines as necessary. The guidelines shall state the minimum
amount of instruction necessary to adequately educate students
on the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations. The
guidelines shall be posted on the department's publicly
accessible Internet website.
(c) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the department
shall make available to school entities in-service training
programs based upon the instruction provided for under
subsection (a) and the curriculum guidelines established under
subsection (b).
(d) (1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a 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
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programs made available by the department or use other
alternative programs that are consistent with this section.
(2) An employe required to complete continuing professional
education under section 1205.2 shall receive credit toward the
continuing professional education requirements where the
training program provided under paragraph (1) has been approved
by the department.
(e) The department shall provide the guidelines, in-service
training and any other materials developed in accordance with
this section to a nonpublic school within this Commonwealth upon
receiving a request from the nonpublic school.
(f) (1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year and each
school year thereafter, a school entity shall post on the school
entity's publicly accessible Internet website an Internet link
or title for resources used by the school entity for Holocaust,
genocide and human rights violations instruction, a course
syllabus or a written summary of the Holocaust, genocide and
human rights violations curriculum offered by the school entity.
(2) The chief school administrator or a designee shall
implement this subsection.
(3) This subsection shall not be construed to require a
school entity to violate the copyright, trademark or other
intellectual property right of the creator or owner of the
curriculum.
(g) 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:
"Anti-Semitism." A certain perception of Jews, which may be
expressed as hatred toward Jews, in the form of rhetorical and
physical manifestations directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish
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individuals, their property, Jewish community institutions or
religious facilities.
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Genocide." The term includes any of the following acts
committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a
national, ethnic, racial or religious group:
(1) Killing members of the group.
(2) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the
group.
(3) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life
calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction, in
whole or in part.
(4) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the
group.
(5) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another
group.
"Holocaust." The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and
attempted annihilation of Jewish individuals and other groups by
the Nazi regime in Germany between 1933 and 1945, which resulted
in the murder of approximately six million (6,000,000) Jewish
individuals and five million (5,000,000) other individuals.
"School entity." A school district, charter school, regional
charter school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit or area
career and technical school.
Section 3. This act shall take effect as follows:
(1) The repeal of section 1554 of the act shall take
effect June 30, 2026.
(2) The remainder of this act shall take effect
immediately.
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