Holocaust Education and Awareness Act of 2001 (Introduced in the House)
HR 477 IH
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 477
To direct the Secretary of Education to provide grants to promote Holocaust education and awareness.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 6, 2001
Mr. SAXTON (for himself, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. WEINER, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, and Mr. CARDIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to provide grants to promote Holocaust education and awareness.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘Holocaust Education and Awareness Act of 2001’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The Holocaust was the government-sponsored event that occurred in Europe between 1933 and 1945 in which Nazis and their collaborators — both to suppress dissidence and in the name of racial, ethnic, and social purity — systemically murdered 11 million people, including Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Serbs, Gypsies, homosexuals, Polish intelligentsia, and German opponents of Nazism.
(2) Six States — California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — currently mandate that the Holocaust be taught in the educational curriculum and ten States–Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington — recommend teaching the Holocaust but do not provide sufficient funds to assist in training and educating teachers about it.
(3) Revisionist historians and Holocaust deniers throughout the world, including those in the United States, perpetuate inaccuracies and falsehoods regarding the Holocaust and thereby make it more difficult for educators effectively to teach students about the Holocaust.
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR HOLOCAUST EDUCATION AND AWARENESS.
(a) IN GENERAL – The Secretary of Education shall devise and administer a program to make grants —
(1) to provide the necessary tools and resources to educate Americans regarding the Holocaust ;
(2) to dispel falsehoods circulated by Holocaust deniers; and
(3) to facilitate Holocaust awareness in communities throughout the United States.
(b) REQUIREMENTS- Such program shall —
(1) provide for grants of not more than $10,000 each for new or existing Holocaust education programs;
(2) condition each grant on assurance of matching funds either from State or local governmental sources or from private sources, or from both, combined to total not less than 50 percent of the amount of Federal funds to be provided by such grant; and
(3) be established in coordination with the United States Holocaust Memorial Council established under chapter 23 of title 36, United States Code.
(c) REPORTS TO CONGRESS- The Secretary of Education shall submit to the Congress a report detailing the criteria used in administering the grant program in subsection (a) and listing program expenditures and grant amounts and recipients. Such report shall be submitted not later than 180 days after the date on which funds are appropriated to carry out this Act and twice annually thereafter for the duration of the program.
(d) DEFINITIONS- In this Act:(1) The term ‘Holocaust’ means the historical event described in section 2(1).
(2) The term ‘Holocaust education program’ means a program which encourages and promotes awareness and historical accuracy about the Holocaust in public and private schools, community groups, State and local governments, and other organizations.
(e) REGULATIONS AUTHORIZED – The Secretary of Education may establish regulations to carry out this Act.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006, to remain available until expended.