Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1628
       
       
        
       By Senator Book
       
       
       
       
       
       32-01274-20                                           20201628__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Holocaust education; amending s.
    3         1003.42, F.S.; authorizing the Department of Education
    4         to contract with the Florida Holocaust Museum for
    5         specified purposes relating to required instruction;
    6         providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Paragraph (g) of subsection (2) of section
   11  1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   12         1003.42 Required instruction.—
   13         (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public
   14  schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
   15  and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
   16  faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
   17  highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy,
   18  following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
   19  approved methods of instruction, the following:
   20         (g) The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the
   21  systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other
   22  groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of
   23  humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an
   24  investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the
   25  ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an
   26  examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful
   27  person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity
   28  in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting
   29  democratic values and institutions. The department may contract
   30  with the Florida Holocaust Museum to develop instructional
   31  materials for the instruction required by this paragraph.
   32  
   33  The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
   34  and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. A
   35  character development program that incorporates the values of
   36  the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is
   37  offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or
   38  other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness
   39  initiative meets the requirements of paragraphs (s) and (t).
   40         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.