H.R. 8606 Text - Reported in House - 118th Congress (2023-2024)

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Never Again Education Reauthorization and Study Act of 2024”.

SEC. 2. Reauthorization.

(a) Authorization of appropriations.—Section 4(a) of the Never Again Education Act (Public Law 116–141) is amended by striking “each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years” and inserting “each succeeding fiscal year through fiscal year 2030”.

(b) Use of funds.—Section 4(c)(2)(D) of such Act (Public Law 116–141) is amended by inserting before the period at the end the following: “, and completion of the study and report required under section 9”.

SEC. 3. Study and report on Holocaust education.

The Never Again Education Act (Public Law 116–141) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 9. Study and report on Holocaust education.

“(a) In general.—The Director shall—

“(1) beginning not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, and ending not later than 18 months after such date of enactment—

“(A) identify a nationally representative sample of States and local educational agencies; and

“(B) conduct a study on the Holocaust education program activities being carried out in such States and local educational agencies; and

“(2) not later than 180 days after the completion of such study, prepare and submit to Congress a report on such study.

“(b) Elements.—In conducting the study under subsection (a) with respect to the States and local educational agencies identified under paragraph (1)(A) of such subsection, the Director shall—

“(1) identify the States and local educational agencies that require Holocaust education program activities as part of the curriculum taught in public secondary schools, and of the States and local educational agencies so identified, which of such States and local educational agencies also provide optional Holocaust education program activities as part of such curriculum;

“(2) identify the States and local educational agencies that do not require Holocaust education program activities as part of such curriculum, and of the States and local educational agencies so identified, which of such States and local educational agencies provide optional Holocaust education program activities as part of such curriculum;

“(3) determine the extent to which the States have developed standards and other requirements for Holocaust education programs provided in public secondary schools served by the local educational agencies in such State, and summarize the status of the implementation of such standards and requirements in such local educational agencies, including—

“(A) any centralized apparatus at the State or local level that collects and disseminates Holocaust education program curricula and materials;

“(B) any Holocaust education program professional development opportunities for preservice and in-service educators;

“(C) the involvement of Holocaust education centers (including local Holocaust centers), museums (including local Holocaust museums), cultural centers, and other informal educational organizations in implementing Holocaust education programs;

“(D) the adoption of United States Holocaust Memorial Museum resources (including the resources developed and disseminated pursuant to section 4(c)(1)) by entities at the State or local level, including local Holocaust museums and centers that disseminate Holocaust education program curricula; and

“(E) criteria used by such States and local educational agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of Holocaust education programs offered in such States and local educational agencies;

“(4) determine the methods educators in the public secondary schools in the States and local educational agencies are using that result in students successfully achieving intended learning outcomes;

“(5) identify the approaches used by the States and local educational agencies to assess the achievement of such intended learning outcomes;

“(6) identify the types of instructional materials used in such public secondary schools to teach students about the Holocaust, including the use of primary source material;

“(7) identify the extent to which Holocaust education programs at such public secondary schools teach the history of antisemitism, its deep historical roots, the use of conspiracy theories and propaganda that target the Jewish people, and the shapeshifting nature of antisemitism over time; and

“(8) identify—

“(A) in what disciplines the Holocaust is being taught at such public secondary schools; and

“(B) in the case of the public secondary schools in the States and local educational agencies identified under paragraph (1), the amount of time allotted in the required curriculum to teach about the Holocaust.

“(c) Definitions.—In this section, the terms ‘local educational agency’, ‘secondary school’, and ‘State’ have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).”.