PRINTER'S NO. 76
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 127
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, BROOKS, BROWN, ARGALL AND HUTCHINSON,
JANUARY 22, 2025
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 22, 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 repealing provisions relating to Holocaust, genocide and
7 human rights violations instruction and providing for
8 Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations instruction
9 required.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. Section 1554 of the act of March 10, 1949
13 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
14 repealed:
15 [Section 1554. Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights
16 Violations Instruction.--(a) (1) Beginning with school year
17 2015-2016, each school entity may offer instruction in the
18 Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to students. The
19 instruction shall be integrated within the social studies and
20 language arts courses of study required in accordance with State
21 Board of Education regulations. Instruction may also be
 1 integrated into other appropriate courses of study.
2 (2) The Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations
3 instruction permitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall:
4 (i) Be age appropriate.
5 (ii) Be sequential in method of study.
6 (iii) Communicate the connection between national, ethnic,
7 racial or religious intolerance and the subjects described in
8 subsection (b).
9 (iv) Communicate the impact of personal responsibility,
10 civic engagement and societal response within the context of the
11 subjects described in subsection (b).
12 (3) School entities may utilize any appropriate public or
13 private materials, personnel and other resources in developing
14 and implementing the program of instruction permitted pursuant
15 to paragraph (1). The Department of Education shall distribute
16 information about appropriate curriculum materials to each
17 school entity. School entities may utilize any curriculum that
18 complies with the requirements of this subsection.
19 (b) (1) The Department of Education shall establish
20 curriculum guidelines no later than twelve (12) months after the
21 effective date of this section. The guidelines shall encourage
22 the inclusion of all of the following subjects where appropriate
23 in the instruction:
24 (i) The breadth of the history of the Holocaust, including
25 the Third Reich dictatorship, concentration camp system,
26 persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish
27 resistance and post-World War II trials.
28 (ii) The definition, history, response and actions taken in
29 the face of genocide, including the Holocaust and any other
30 genocide perpetrated against humanity, including the Rwandan
20250SB0127PN0076 - 2 -
 1 genocide and other genocides committed in Africa, Asia and
2 Europe.
3 (iii) Human rights violations.
4 (iv) Anti-Semitism, racism and the abridgment of civil
5 rights.
6 (2) The Department of Education shall work in consultation
7 with organizations and individuals that provide educational
8 expertise and resources related to the Holocaust, genocide and
9 human rights violations to develop the curriculum guidelines.
10 The guidelines shall state the minimum amount of instruction
11 necessary to adequately educate students on the Holocaust,
12 genocide and human rights violations.
13 (c) Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, the Department
14 of Education shall make available, to all school entities, in-
15 service training programs based upon the instruction provided
16 for under subsection (a) and the curriculum guidelines
17 established pursuant to subsection (b).
18 (d) (1) Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, each
19 school entity providing instruction under subsection (a) shall
20 provide, as part of its in-service training, programs on the
21 Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations for all
22 instructors whose teaching responsibilities include courses of
23 study in which instruction concerning the Holocaust, genocide
24 and human rights violations is integrated. A school entity may
25 utilize the programs made available by the Department of
26 Education or use other alternative programs that are consistent
27 with the provisions of this section.
28 (2) Employes required to complete continuing professional
29 education under section 1205.2 shall receive credit toward the
30 continuing professional education requirements where the
20250SB0127PN0076 - 3 -
 1 training program provided pursuant to paragraph (1) has been
2 approved by the Department of Education.
3 (e) The Department of Education shall provide the
4 guidelines, in-service training and any other materials
5 developed in accordance with this section to any nonpublic
6 school within this Commonwealth upon receiving a request from
7 the nonpublic school.
8 (f) The State Board of Education shall:
9 (1) Conduct a study regarding the manner in which
10 instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
11 violations is offered by school entities in this Commonwealth.
12 In conducting the study, the State Board of Education shall
13 request that each school entity provide the State Board of
14 Education with information concerning whether the school entity
15 offers such instruction and the manner in which such instruction
16 is offered. Each school entity shall provide information to the
17 State Board of Education in response to a request under this
18 paragraph. Following the 2016-2017 school year, but not later
19 than November 30, 2017, the State Board of Education shall issue
20 a report to the Governor, the Secretary of Education, the
21 Chairman and Minority Chairman of the Education Committee of the
22 Senate and the Chairman and Minority Chairman of the Education
23 Committee of the House of Representatives addressing the
24 following:
25 (i) The number of school entities offering instruction in
26 the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations.
27 (ii) The number of school entities using the curriculum
28 guidelines established by the Department of Education under
29 subsection (b).
30 (iii) The number of school entities using the in-service
20250SB0127PN0076 - 4 -
 1 training programs made available by the Department of Education
2 under subsection (c).
3 (iv) A description of the manner in which school entities
4 are offering instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human
5 rights violations, including the number of hours of instruction
6 offered, the grade levels at which such instruction is offered
7 and the course within such instruction is integrated.
8 (v) The recommendations for improvements to the offering of
9 instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
10 violations, including recommended legislation.
11 (2) Adopt a regulation, pursuant to the act of June 25, 1982
12 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the "Regulatory Review Act," to
13 require school entities to offer instruction in the Holocaust,
14 genocide and human rights violations that is consistent with
15 subsections (a) and (b), if the study conducted by the State
16 Board of Education under paragraph (1) demonstrates that less
17 than ninety percent of the school entities are offering
18 instruction in the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
19 violations consistent with subsections (a) and (b).
20 (3) Adopt rules and regulations necessary for the
21 implementation of this section pursuant to the "Regulatory
22 Review Act."
23 (g) For purposes of this section, the term "school entity"
24 shall mean a school district, charter school, regional charter
25 school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit or area career
26 and technical school.]
27 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
28 Section 1554.1. Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights
29 Violations Instruction Required.--(a) (1) Beginning with
30 school year 2026-2027, a school entity shall offer instruction
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 1 in the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to
2 students. The instruction shall be integrated within the social
3 studies and language arts courses of study required in
4 accordance with State Board of Education regulations.
5 Instruction may also be integrated into other appropriate
6 courses of study.
7 (2) The Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations
8 instruction under paragraph (1) shall:
9 (i) Be age appropriate.
10 (ii) Be sequential in method of study.
11 (iii) Communicate the connection between national, ethnic,
12 racial or religious intolerance and the subjects described in
13 subsection (b).
14 (iv) Communicate the impact of personal responsibility,
15 civic engagement and societal response within the context of the
16 subjects described in subsection (b).
17 (3) A school entity may utilize appropriate public or
18 private materials, personnel and other resources in developing
19 and implementing the instruction under paragraph (1). The
20 department shall make available information about appropriate
21 curriculum materials to school entities. A school entity may
22 utilize any curriculum that complies with the requirements of
23 this subsection.
24 (b) (1) The department shall review and update existing
25 curriculum guidelines as necessary. The guidelines shall
26 encourage the inclusion of the following subjects where
27 appropriate in the instruction:
28 (i) The breadth of the history of the Holocaust, including
29 the Third Reich dictatorship, concentration camp system,
30 persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish
20250SB0127PN0076 - 6 -
 1 resistance and post-World War II trials.
2 (ii) The definition, history, response and actions taken in
3 the face of genocide, including the Holocaust and any other
4 genocide perpetrated against humanity, including the Rwandan
5 genocide and other genocides committed in Africa, Asia and
6 Europe.
7 (iii) Human rights violations.
8 (iv) Anti-Semitism, racism and the abridgment of civil
9 rights.
10 (2) The department shall work in consultation with
11 organizations and individuals that provide educational expertise
12 and resources related to the Holocaust, genocide and human
13 rights violations to review and update existing curriculum
14 guidelines as necessary. The guidelines shall state the minimum
15 amount of instruction necessary to adequately educate students
16 on the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations. The
17 guidelines shall be posted on the department's publicly
18 accessible Internet website.
19 (c) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the department
20 shall make available to school entities in-service training
21 programs based upon the instruction provided for under
22 subsection (a) and the curriculum guidelines established under
23 subsection (b).
24 (d) (1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a school
25 entity providing instruction under subsection (a) shall provide
26 as part of its in-service training programs on the Holocaust,
27 genocide and human rights violations for all instructors whose
28 teaching responsibilities include courses of study in which
29 instruction concerning the Holocaust, genocide and human rights
30 violations is integrated. A school entity may utilize the
20250SB0127PN0076 - 7 -
 1 programs made available by the department or use other
2 alternative programs that are consistent with this section.
3 (2) An employe required to complete continuing professional
4 education under section 1205.2 shall receive credit toward the
5 continuing professional education requirements where the
6 training program provided under paragraph (1) has been approved
7 by the department.
8 (e) The department shall provide the guidelines, in-service
9 training and any other materials developed in accordance with
10 this section to a nonpublic school within this Commonwealth upon
11 receiving a request from the nonpublic school.
12 (f) (1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year and each
13 school year thereafter, a school entity shall post on the school
14 entity's publicly accessible Internet website an Internet link
15 or title for resources used by the school entity for Holocaust,
16 genocide and human rights violations instruction, a course
17 syllabus or a written summary of the Holocaust, genocide and
18 human rights violations curriculum offered by the school entity.
19 (2) The chief school administrator or a designee shall
20 implement this subsection.
21 (3) This subsection shall not be construed to require a
22 school entity to violate the copyright, trademark or other
23 intellectual property right of the creator or owner of the
24 curriculum.
25 (g) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
26 shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
27 the context clearly indicates otherwise:
28 "Anti-Semitism." A certain perception of Jews, which may be
29 expressed as hatred toward Jews, in the form of rhetorical and
30 physical manifestations directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish
20250SB0127PN0076 - 8 -
 1 individuals, their property, Jewish community institutions or
2 religious facilities.
3 "Department." The Department of Education of the
4 Commonwealth.
5 "Genocide." The term includes any of the following acts
6 committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a
7 national, ethnic, racial or religious group:
8 (1) Killing members of the group.
9 (2) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the
10 group.
11 (3) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life
12 calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction, in
13 whole or in part.
14 (4) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the
15 group.
16 (5) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another
17 group.
18 "Holocaust." The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and
19 attempted annihilation of Jewish individuals and other groups by
20 the Nazi regime in Germany between 1933 and 1945, which resulted
21 in the murder of approximately six million (6,000,000) Jewish
22 individuals and five million (5,000,000) other individuals.
23 "School entity." A school district, charter school, regional
24 charter school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit or area
25 career and technical school.
26 Section 3. This act shall take effect as follows:
27 (1) The repeal of section 1554 of the act shall take
28 effect June 30, 2026.
29 (2) The remainder of this act shall take effect
30 immediately.
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Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0076: P.L.30, No.14