SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SHB 2212

           AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 28, 1992

Brief Description:  Encouraging study of the Holocaust.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives O'Brien, Jacobsen, Locke, Anderson, Wineberry, Jones and Nelson)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

      Signed by Senators Bailey, Chairman; Erwin, Vice Chairman; Craswell, Murray, Oke, Pelz, Rinehart, A. Smith, and Talmadge.

Staff:  Mich'l Prentice Needham (786‑7439)

Hearing Dates: February 28, 1992

BACKGROUND:

Students in Washington are required to have a full year of contemporary world history prior to graduating from high school.  The statutory language does not specifically mention study of the Holocaust.

SUMMARY:

Every public high school is encouraged to include a unit of instruction on the Holocaust.  The instruction may also include other examples of genocide from ancient and modern history. 

The Superintendent of Public Instruction may prepare materials for use as guidelines in developing the unit of instruction and may make the materials available to all school districts.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

Studying the Holocaust will help students understand the dangers of discrimination and prejudice and help break the cycle of hatred.  Studying the past will help us all learn the lessons of history and avoid such occurrences in the future.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

Studying the Holocaust will promote hatred for the Germans and focus disproportional interest on the Jewish people.  Information about the Holocaust violates the eighth commandment of the Bible.  There is research documenting the Holocaust never happened.

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Representative John L. O'Brien; Senator Cantu; Henry Friedman, President of Holocaust Survivors; Debbie Benezra, Executive Producer and Director, Washington Holocaust Survivors, an Oral History; Shelly Cohen, Washington Association of Jewish Communities; Erika Cranmer; CON:  Harry Schmidt, German-American Political Action Committee; Hermann Mayrhofer; Frank Gordon, Populist Party; Jeff Cope