HB 2037 — Concerning Holocaust and genocide education in public schools.

ENGROSSEDH-2284.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2037 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session By House Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Couture, Senn, Leavitt, Fitzgibbon, Rude, Hutchins, Low, Christian, Ramel, Ryu, Ormsby, Barnard, Graham, Callan, Macri, Cheney, Sandlin, Goodman, Caldier, Nance, Riccelli, Reeves, Paul, Pollet, Griffey, and Davis)Davis READPrefiled FIRST12/22/23. TIME 01/31/24.

Read first time 01/08/24.

Referred to Committee on Education.

creating a new section;

and providing an expiration dates.date.

1 ESHBHB 2037 (1) ((Every)) (a) In addition to the requirements in section 1 of this act, every public middle school, junior high school, and high school is strongly encouraged to include in its curriculum instruction on the events of the period in modern world history known as the Holocaust((,Holocaust, the systemic, German state-sponsored persecution and murder of Jews and other innocent victims by the Nazi regime and its collaborators between the years 1933 and 1945.

The instruction may also include other examples of genocide and crimes against humanity)).humanity.

The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored genocide perpetrated between 1933 and 1945 by the Nazi regime and its collaborators with the aim of annihilating the Jewish people.

During the era of the Holocaust, the Nazis also targeted other groups for various reasons, including people with disabilities, the Romani people, political dissidents, and gay men.

In delivering the instruction, educators are further encouraged to include genocides and crimes against humanity in every region of the world and at various points in history.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with ((anan expert Washington nonprofit organization that teaches the lessons of the Holocaust)) a Washington nonprofit organization with expertise in teaching the lessons of the Holocaust, other nonprofit organizations with expertise in teaching lessons on genocide and crimes against humanity in different regions of the world and at various points in history, particularly including diasporic communities with lived experiences of surviving, being made refugee by, or otherwise being directly impacted by genocide, and a public institution of higher education with expertise in advancing knowledge about the Holocaust, genocide, and crimes against humanity that includes curriculum development and teacher training, must:

and p.(b) Encourage and support middle school, junior high school, and high school teachers in implementing these best practices and guidelines.

2 ESHB 2037 (b) Encourage and support middle school, junior high school, and high school teachers in implementing these best practices and guidelines.

(4)(4)(a) ScreeningThe criteriaoffice designedof tothe eliminatesuperintendent biasof inpublic instructionalinstruction materials must beupdate usedand whenelectronically selectingpublish curriculathe best practices and materialsguidelines todeveloped implementunder this section.section on an annual basis.

(5)(a)(b) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must updateelectronically publish, and electronicallyupdate publishas theneeded, bestguidance practiceson vertical alignment, materials, and guidelinesprofessional developedlearning underto thissupport sectionimplementation ((onof anthe annualstand-alone basis)).elective described in subsection (1)(b) of this section.

(b)(5) TheThis officesection ofexpires theJuly superintendent1, of2027. public instruction must develop and update as needed, in collaboration with the organizations described in subsection (2) of this section, and electronically publish, guidance on vertical alignment, materials, and training to support implementation of the stand-alone elective described in subsection (1)(b) of this section.

(6) This section expires July 1, 2027.

(1)(a)p. In addition to the requirements in section 1 of this act, beginning with the 2027-28 school year, when it aligns with the social studies learning standards including United States history and contemporary world history, public schools that serve students in any of grades six through 12 shall provide instruction on the events of the period in modern world history known as the Holocaust.

The2 HolocaustHB was2037 (1)(a) Beginning with the systematic,2027-28 school year, public middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools shall provide instruction on the events of the period in modern world history known as the Holocaust, the systemic, German state-sponsored genocidepersecution perpetratedand betweenmurder 1933of Jews and 1945other innocent victims by the Nazi regime and its collaborators withbetween the aimyears of1933 annihilatingand 1945 when this topic aligns with the Jewishsocial people.studies learning standards including United States history and contemporary world history.

DuringThe theinstruction eramust of the Holocaust, the Nazis also targetedinclude other groupsexamples forof variousgenocide reasons, including people with disabilities, the Romani people, political dissidents, and gaycrimes men.against humanity.

The instruction must also include genocides and crimes against humanity in every region of the world and at various points in history.

and be a reaffirmation of the commitment of free peoples p.never again to permit such occurrences.

3This ESHBinstruction 2037must neverfollow againthe tobest permitpractices suchand occurrences.guidelines developed and updated under subsection (2)(a) of this section.

This instruction must follow the best practices and guidelines developed and updated under subsection (3)(a) of this section.

(2)(2)(a) ScreeningThe criteriaoffice designedof tothe eliminatesuperintendent biasof public instruction, in instructionalcollaboration materialswith mustan beexpert usedWashington whennonprofit selectingorganization curriculathat andteaches materialsthe tolessons implementof thisthe section.Holocaust, shall:

(3)(a)(i) TheDevelop office of the superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with a Washington nonprofit organization with expertise in teaching the lessons of the Holocaust, other nonprofit organizations with expertise in teaching lessons on genocide and crimesannually againstupdate humanity in different regions of the world and atelectronically variouspublish pointsbest inpractices history, particularly including diasporic communities with lived experiences of surviving, being made refugee by, or otherwise being directly impacted by genocide, and aguidelines publicfor institutionhigh ofquality higherinstruction educationunder withthis expertisesection; in advancing knowledge about the Holocaust, genocide, and crimes against humanity that includes curriculum development and teacher training, shall:

(i)and Develop,(ii) updateSupport asmiddle needed,school, andjunior electronicallyhigh publishschool, bestand practiceshigh andschool guidelinesteachers forin highimplementing qualitythese instructionbest underpractices thisand section;guidelines.

(ii)(b) SupportThe middleoffice school,of juniorthe highsuperintendent school,of public instruction must electronically publish, and highupdate schoolas teachersneeded, inguidance implementingon thesevertical bestalignment, practicesmaterials, and guidelines;professional learning to support implementation of the stand-alone elective described in subsection (1)(b) of this section.

and (iii) Develop, electronically publish, and update as needed, guidance on vertical alignment, materials, and training to support implementation of the stand-alone elective described in subsection (1)(b) of this section.

(1) By September 30, 2025, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must report to the appropriate committees of the legislature how the agency will meaningfully include or has meaningfully included diasporic communities with lived experiences of surviving, being made refugee by, or otherwise being directly impacted by genocide when collaborating with organizations as required by RCW 28A.300.115(2).

The office of the superintendent of public instruction must provide an interim update on their progress to the appropriate committees of the legislature by January 15, 2025.

p.

4 ESHB 2037 (2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must include in the report:

(a) The stakeholders, organizations, and institutions with which the office of the superintendent of public instruction has collaborated or plans to collaborate in developing best practices and guidelines for high quality instruction, and in supporting teachers in implementing these best practices and guidelines, as required by RCW 28A.300.115(2);

(b) The questions solicited and the feedback received in the collaboration process;

(c) The methods by which organizations were identified for collaboration;

and (d) Any other relevant information about the collaboration process.

(3) This section expires July 1, 2026.

NEW SECTION.

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