HB 793 — 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.    817

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 793
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY MARCELL, M. MACKENZIE, GUENST, NEILSON, GROVE AND
        ZIMMERMAN, MARCH 3, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 3, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," in terms and courses of study,
 6      further providing for Holocaust, genocide and human rights
 7      violations instruction.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.     Section 1554(b) and (g) of the act of March 10,
11   1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
12   are amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to
13   read:
14      Section 1554.     Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights
15   Violations Instruction.--* * *
16      (a.1)   (1)    Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a
17   school entity that offers instruction under subsection (a) shall
18   post the title or Internet link for every primary resource used
19   by the school entity and a course syllabus or a written summary
20   of the instruction offered by the school entity on the school
 1   entity's publicly accessible Internet website. The information
 2   shall be updated at least every three years.
 3      (2)    The chief school administrator or a designee shall
 4   implement the requirements of this subsection.
 5      (3)    This subsection shall not be construed to require a
 6   school entity to violate the copyright, trademark or other
 7   intellectual property right of the creator or owner of
 8   curriculum.
 9      (b)    (1)   The Department of Education shall establish
10   curriculum guidelines no later than twelve (12) months after the
11   effective date of this section. The guidelines shall encourage
12   the inclusion of all of the following subjects where appropriate
13   in the instruction:
14      (i)    The breadth of the history of the Holocaust, including
15   the Third Reich dictatorship, concentration camp system,
16   persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish
17   resistance and post-World War II trials.
18      (ii)    The definition, history, response and actions taken in
19   the face of genocide, including the Holocaust and any other
20   genocide perpetrated against humanity, including the Rwandan
21   genocide and other genocides committed in Africa, Asia and
22   Europe.
23      (iii)    Human rights violations.
24      (iv)    Anti-Semitism, racism and the abridgment of civil
25   rights.
26      (2)    The Department of Education shall work in consultation
27   with organizations and individuals that provide educational
28   expertise and resources related to the Holocaust, genocide and
29   human rights violations to develop the curriculum guidelines.
30   The guidelines shall state the minimum amount of instruction

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 1   necessary to adequately educate students on the Holocaust,
 2   genocide and human rights violations.
 3      (3)   The Department of Education shall post the curriculum
 4   guidelines on the Department of Education's publicly accessible
 5   Internet website.
 6      * * *
 7      (g)   [For purposes of this section, the term "school entity"
 8   shall mean a] As used in this section, the following words and
 9   phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection
10   unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
11      "Chief school administrator."       The superintendent of a school
12   district, administrative director of an area career and
13   technical school, executive director of an intermediate unit or
14   chief executive officer of a charter school, cyber charter
15   school or regional charter school.
16      "Primary resource."   A textbook, resource or online material
17   approved by the governing board of a school entity that is used
18   as the basis or primary source of instruction for a course and
19   consistently by a majority of students in the course.
20      "School entity."   A school district, charter school, regional
21   charter school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit or area
22   career and technical school.
23      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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