BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

S.B. 1828

86R10446 JES-F

By: Men�ndez

 

Education

 

4/18/2019

 

As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

This year marked the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest German Nazi concentration camp and extermination center. As more time passes, the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling, making it imperative to continue to educate younger generations on the tragic events of the Holocaust to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

 

According to a study conducted by Claims Conference, nearly one-third of all Americans and more than 41 percent of millennials believe that substantially less than six million Jews were killed (two million or fewer) during the Holocaust. While there were over 40,000 concentration camps and ghettos in Europe during the Holocaust, 45 percent cannot name a single one. Seven out of ten Americans say fewer people seem to care about the Holocaust than they used to. According to a Forbes article from January this year, nearly one-quarter or 22 percent of generation Z and millennials in the United States and Canada were unaware or not sure if they had heard of the Holocaust.

 

The best way to counter these shocking findings is with comprehensive, fact-based Holocaust education. It is only through education that we can fix this problem of detachment. In America, 93 percent of adults believe all students should learn about the Holocaust in school and 80 percent believe it is important to keep teaching about the Holocaust so it does not happen again.

 

S.B. 1828 will ask the governor to designate a Holocaust Remembrance Week where schools will use this time for Holocaust instruction developed or approved by the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission. This legislation does not mandate the implementation of Holocaust curriculum in public schools.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1828 amends current law relating to Holocaust Remembrance Week in public schools.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, by adding Section 29.9072, as follows:

 

Sec. 29.9072.� HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE WEEK. (a) Defines "Holocaust" for purposes of this section.

 

(b) Requires the governor, to educate students about the Holocaust and inspire in students a sense of responsibility to recognize and uphold human value and to prevent future atrocities, to designate a week to be known as Holocaust Remembrance Week in public schools.

 

(c) Requires Holocaust Remembrance Week to include age-appropriate instruction, as determined by each school district. Requires instruction to include information about the history of and lessons learned from the Holocaust, participation, in person or using technology, in learning projects about the Holocaust, and the use of materials developed or approved by the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission.

 

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2019�2020 school year.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.