S-2108.1

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5612

BySenate Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Rivers, Salomon, Frockt, Wilson, C., Carlyle, Billig, Wellman, Zeiger, Warnick, Palumbo, Pedersen, Van De Wege, Hasegawa, Holy, Hunt, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, and O'Ban)

AN ACT Relating to Holocaust education; amending RCW 28A.300.115; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 28A.300.115 and 1992 c 24 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) 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, ((during which six million Jews and millions of non-Jews were exterminated))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 ((from both ancient and modern history where subcultures or large human populations have been eradicated by the acts of humankind))of genocide and crimes against humanity. The studying of this material is intended to: Examine the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and intolerance; prepare students to be responsible citizens in a pluralistic democracy; and be a reaffirmation of the commitment of free peoples never again to permit such occurrences.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction ((may prepare and make available to all school districts instructional materials for use as guidelines for instruction under this section)), in collaboration with an expert Washington nonprofit organization that teaches the lessons of the Holocaust, must:

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, and in order to broaden the reach of the instruction to public school students, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must work with an expert Washington nonprofit organization that teaches the lessons of the Holocaust, to support and train Washington middle school, junior high school, and high school teachers who teach in subjects relevant to the topic, in instructing the lessons of the Holocaust and other acts of genocide using the best practices and guidelines for the high quality instruction developed under RCW 28A.300.115.

(a) How the best practices and guidelines for high quality instruction on the events of the period in modern world history known as the Holocaust developed under RCW 28A.300.115 are being implemented statewide;

(b) Whether, and how, the best practices and guidelines should be modified;

(c) The number of teachers trained and supported on using the best practices and guidelines in the past two years; and

(d) Whether instruction should be required in public schools, and if so, in which grades.

(2) By December 12, 2022, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must work with expert Washington nonprofit organizations described under subsection (1) of this section to summarize the feedback collected under subsection (1) of this section and report it to the appropriate committees of the legislature with a recommendation about whether instruction should be required in public schools, and if so, in which grades.

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