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House File 2197 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1providing for education on the holocaust for students
2and teachers in school districts.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 280.36 Education on the holocaust.
21. The general assembly finds all of the following:
3a. Recent studies have shown there to be a severe lack
4of awareness in the state of Iowa regarding historical facts
5about the holocaust and antisemitism, and the causes and
6ramifications thereof.
7b. Antisemitism remains a persistent, pervasive, and
8disturbing problem in contemporary American society.
9c. In order to provide students with an understanding of the
10importance of the protection of human rights and the potential
11consequences of discrimination against and persecution of
12Jewish people, it is a matter of high priority that students in
13this state be educated concerning the holocaust.
14d. Sources of free curricula and instructional materials for
15education on the holocaust include but are not limited to the
16United States holocaust memorial museum; yad vashem: the world
17holocaust remembrance center; the Illinois holocaust museum and
18education center; and echoes and reflections, a partnership of
19the anti-defamation league, yad vashem, and the university of
20southern California shoah foundation.
212. For purposes of this section, unless the context
22otherwise requires:
23a. “Antisemitism” means the same as defined in section
24216F.1.
25b. “Holocaust” means the systematic, bureaucratic,
26state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately
27six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its allies and
28collaborators.
29c. “Nazi” means the abbreviation for the national socialist
30German workers’ party, a political party of the mass movement
31known as national socialism under which its leader, Adolf
32Hitler, came to power in 1933 and governed by totalitarian
33methods until 1945.
34d. “Organization” means one or more of the following
35organizations:
-1- 1(1) The United States holocaust memorial museum.
2(2) Yad vashem: the world holocaust remembrance center.
3(3) The Illinois holocaust museum and education center.
4(4) Echoes and reflections, a partnership of the
5anti-defamation league, yad vashem, and the university of
6southern California shoah foundation.
7(5) Any other entity approved for education on the holocaust
8by the department of education.
93. a. No later than the school year beginning July 1, 2024,
10the board of directors of a school district shall incorporate
11age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction regarding
12the holocaust for students in middle and high school into the
13school district’s educational program. Such instruction shall
14be incorporated into existing required courses and include, at
15minimum, the following:
16(1) The causes and ramifications of the holocaust.
17(2) The breadth of the history of antisemitism and
18the holocaust, including the third reich dictatorship,
19concentration camp system, persecution of Jews and non-Jews,
20Jewish and non-Jewish resistance, and post-World War II trials.
21(3) The impact of personal responsibility, civic
22engagement, and societal response in the context of the
23holocaust.
24(4) The connection between national, ethnic, racial,
25or religious intolerance and the subjects described in
26subparagraphs (1) and (2).
27(5) The leading role played by the United States and
28the United States armed forces, including African American
29soldiers, including but not limited to the Tuskegee airmen,
30as well as Native American and Asian American soldiers, in
31defeating the third reich and its allies and liberating Nazi
32concentration camps.
33(6) The definition, history, and actions taken in the face
34of the holocaust.
35b. School districts shall utilize appropriate public or
-2-1private materials, personnel, and other resources in developing
2and implementing education on the holocaust in accordance with
3this section.
44. No later than the school year beginning July 1, 2024,
5the board of directors of a school district shall incorporate
6education on the holocaust for teachers into the district
7professional development plan developed pursuant to section
8284.6 for teachers who provide instruction in courses into
9which student instruction in accordance with subsection 3 is
10incorporated. Such training shall cover the topics required
11by subsection 3. School districts shall utilize appropriate
12programs provided by an organization for such training.
13Education on the holocaust provided to teachers in accordance
14with this section shall be credited toward a teacher’s
15individual professional development plan under section 284.6.
165. Annually by October 1, the department of education
17shall submit a report to the governor and the general assembly
18addressing the number of school districts offering education
19on the holocaust to students and teachers in accordance with
20this section. The department shall publish the report on the
21department’s internet site.
226. This section shall not be construed to diminish or
23infringe upon any right protected under the Constitution of
24the State of Iowa or the first amendment to the Constitution
25of the United States. This section shall not be construed to
26conflict with any local, state, or federal law relating to
27discrimination.
28 Sec. 2. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
29with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
30compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
31be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
32received by the school district under section 257.16. This
33specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
34to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of
35section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
-3-1shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act
2by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
3districts.
4EXPLANATION
5The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
6the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
7This bill requires each school board to incorporate
8age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction regarding
9the holocaust for students in middle and high school into the
10school district’s educational program. Such instruction shall
11be incorporated into existing required courses. The bill
12specifies the content of such instruction. School districts
13shall utilize appropriate public or private materials,
14personnel, and other resources in developing and implementing
15education on the holocaust.
16The bill requires each school board to incorporate education
17on the holocaust for teachers into the school district
18professional development plan for teachers who provide
19instruction in courses into which student instruction in
20accordance with the bill is incorporated. Such training shall
21cover the topics specified by the bill. School districts shall
22utilize appropriate programs provided by an organization, as
23specified in the bill, for such training. Education on the
24holocaust provided to teachers shall be credited toward a
25teacher’s individual professional development plan.
26A school board shall carry out the requirements for
27education on the holocaust for students and teachers no later
28than the school year beginning July 1, 2024.
29The bill requires the department of education to submit
30an annual report to the governor and the general assembly
31addressing the number of school districts offering education
32on the holocaust to students and teachers in accordance with
33the bill.
34The bill shall not be construed to diminish or infringe upon
35any right protected under the Constitution of the State of
-4-1Iowa or the first amendment to the Constitution of the United
2States. The bill shall not be construed to conflict with any
3local, state, or federal law relating to discrimination.
4The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
5section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of
6any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
7district from state school foundation aid received by the
8school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
9is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
10funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
11inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
12requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
13mandates included in the bill.
-5-je/jh
2and teachers in school districts.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 280.36 Education on the holocaust.
21. The general assembly finds all of the following:
3a. Recent studies have shown there to be a severe lack
4of awareness in the state of Iowa regarding historical facts
5about the holocaust and antisemitism, and the causes and
6ramifications thereof.
7b. Antisemitism remains a persistent, pervasive, and
8disturbing problem in contemporary American society.
9c. In order to provide students with an understanding of the
10importance of the protection of human rights and the potential
11consequences of discrimination against and persecution of
12Jewish people, it is a matter of high priority that students in
13this state be educated concerning the holocaust.
14d. Sources of free curricula and instructional materials for
15education on the holocaust include but are not limited to the
16United States holocaust memorial museum; yad vashem: the world
17holocaust remembrance center; the Illinois holocaust museum and
18education center; and echoes and reflections, a partnership of
19the anti-defamation league, yad vashem, and the university of
20southern California shoah foundation.
212. For purposes of this section, unless the context
22otherwise requires:
23a. “Antisemitism” means the same as defined in section
24216F.1.
25b. “Holocaust” means the systematic, bureaucratic,
26state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately
27six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its allies and
28collaborators.
29c. “Nazi” means the abbreviation for the national socialist
30German workers’ party, a political party of the mass movement
31known as national socialism under which its leader, Adolf
32Hitler, came to power in 1933 and governed by totalitarian
33methods until 1945.
34d. “Organization” means one or more of the following
35organizations:
-1- 1(1) The United States holocaust memorial museum.
2(2) Yad vashem: the world holocaust remembrance center.
3(3) The Illinois holocaust museum and education center.
4(4) Echoes and reflections, a partnership of the
5anti-defamation league, yad vashem, and the university of
6southern California shoah foundation.
7(5) Any other entity approved for education on the holocaust
8by the department of education.
93. a. No later than the school year beginning July 1, 2024,
10the board of directors of a school district shall incorporate
11age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction regarding
12the holocaust for students in middle and high school into the
13school district’s educational program. Such instruction shall
14be incorporated into existing required courses and include, at
15minimum, the following:
16(1) The causes and ramifications of the holocaust.
17(2) The breadth of the history of antisemitism and
18the holocaust, including the third reich dictatorship,
19concentration camp system, persecution of Jews and non-Jews,
20Jewish and non-Jewish resistance, and post-World War II trials.
21(3) The impact of personal responsibility, civic
22engagement, and societal response in the context of the
23holocaust.
24(4) The connection between national, ethnic, racial,
25or religious intolerance and the subjects described in
26subparagraphs (1) and (2).
27(5) The leading role played by the United States and
28the United States armed forces, including African American
29soldiers, including but not limited to the Tuskegee airmen,
30as well as Native American and Asian American soldiers, in
31defeating the third reich and its allies and liberating Nazi
32concentration camps.
33(6) The definition, history, and actions taken in the face
34of the holocaust.
35b. School districts shall utilize appropriate public or
-2-1private materials, personnel, and other resources in developing
2and implementing education on the holocaust in accordance with
3this section.
44. No later than the school year beginning July 1, 2024,
5the board of directors of a school district shall incorporate
6education on the holocaust for teachers into the district
7professional development plan developed pursuant to section
8284.6 for teachers who provide instruction in courses into
9which student instruction in accordance with subsection 3 is
10incorporated. Such training shall cover the topics required
11by subsection 3. School districts shall utilize appropriate
12programs provided by an organization for such training.
13Education on the holocaust provided to teachers in accordance
14with this section shall be credited toward a teacher’s
15individual professional development plan under section 284.6.
165. Annually by October 1, the department of education
17shall submit a report to the governor and the general assembly
18addressing the number of school districts offering education
19on the holocaust to students and teachers in accordance with
20this section. The department shall publish the report on the
21department’s internet site.
226. This section shall not be construed to diminish or
23infringe upon any right protected under the Constitution of
24the State of Iowa or the first amendment to the Constitution
25of the United States. This section shall not be construed to
26conflict with any local, state, or federal law relating to
27discrimination.
28 Sec. 2. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
29with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
30compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
31be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
32received by the school district under section 257.16. This
33specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
34to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of
35section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
-3-1shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act
2by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
3districts.
4EXPLANATION
5The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
6the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
7This bill requires each school board to incorporate
8age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction regarding
9the holocaust for students in middle and high school into the
10school district’s educational program. Such instruction shall
11be incorporated into existing required courses. The bill
12specifies the content of such instruction. School districts
13shall utilize appropriate public or private materials,
14personnel, and other resources in developing and implementing
15education on the holocaust.
16The bill requires each school board to incorporate education
17on the holocaust for teachers into the school district
18professional development plan for teachers who provide
19instruction in courses into which student instruction in
20accordance with the bill is incorporated. Such training shall
21cover the topics specified by the bill. School districts shall
22utilize appropriate programs provided by an organization, as
23specified in the bill, for such training. Education on the
24holocaust provided to teachers shall be credited toward a
25teacher’s individual professional development plan.
26A school board shall carry out the requirements for
27education on the holocaust for students and teachers no later
28than the school year beginning July 1, 2024.
29The bill requires the department of education to submit
30an annual report to the governor and the general assembly
31addressing the number of school districts offering education
32on the holocaust to students and teachers in accordance with
33the bill.
34The bill shall not be construed to diminish or infringe upon
35any right protected under the Constitution of the State of
-4-1Iowa or the first amendment to the Constitution of the United
2States. The bill shall not be construed to conflict with any
3local, state, or federal law relating to discrimination.
4The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
5section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of
6any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
7district from state school foundation aid received by the
8school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
9is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
10funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
11inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
12requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
13mandates included in the bill.
-5-je/jh