Connecticut State Legislature

May 10, 2018

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State of Connecticut

Senate Bill No. 452
Public Act No. 18-24

AN ACT CONCERNING THE INCLUSION OF HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10-16b of the 2018 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2018):

(a) In the public schools the program of instruction offered shall include at least the following subject matter, as taught by legally qualified teachers, the arts; career education; consumer education; health and safety, including, but not limited to, human growth and development, nutrition, first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in accordance with the provisions of section 10-16qq, disease prevention and cancer awareness, including, but not limited to, age and developmentally appropriate instruction in performing self-examinations for the purposes of screening for breast cancer and testicular cancer, community and consumer health, physical, mental and emotional health, including youth suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, safety, which shall include the safe use of social media, as defined in section 9-601, and may include the dangers of gang membership, and accident prevention; language arts, including reading, writing, grammar, speaking and spelling; mathematics; physical education; science; social studies, including, but not limited to, citizenship, economics, geography, government, [and] history and Holocaust and genocide education and awareness in accordance with the provisions of section 2 of this act; computer programming instruction; and in addition, on at least the secondary level, one or more world languages and vocational education. For purposes of this subsection, world languages shall include American Sign Language, provided such subject matter is taught by a qualified instructor under the supervision of a teacher who holds a certificate issued by the State Board of Education. For purposes of this subsection, the "arts" means any form of visual or performing arts, which may include, but not be limited to, dance, music, art and theatre.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2018) (a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall include Holocaust and genocide education and awareness as part of the social studies curriculum for the school district, pursuant to section 10-16b of the general statutes, as amended by this act. In developing and implementing the Holocaust and genocide education and awareness portion of the social studies curriculum, the board may utilize existing and appropriate public or private materials, personnel and other resources.

(b) A local or regional board of education may accept gifts, grants and donations, including in-kind donations, designated for the development and implementation of Holocaust and genocide education and awareness under this section.