[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 892 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 892

To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to educational 
  organizations to carry out educational programs about the Holocaust.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 23, 2009

 Mr. Menendez introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to educational 
  organizations to carry out educational programs about the Holocaust.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. HOLOCAUST EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.

    Part D of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

          ``Subpart 22--Holocaust Education Assistance Program

``SEC. 5631. SHORT TITLE.

    ``This subpart may be cited as the `Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust 
Education Assistance Act'.

``SEC. 5632. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    ``(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            ``(1) The Holocaust was an historical event that resulted 
        in the systemic, state-sponsored, mass murders by Nazi Germany 
        of 6,000,000 Jews, along with millions of others, in the name 
        of racial purity.
            ``(2) Six States (California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, 
        New Jersey, and New York) now mandate that the Holocaust be 
        taught in the educational curriculum, and 11 States (Alabama, 
        Connecticut, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North 
        Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, and West 
        Virginia) recommend teaching the Holocaust but the funds 
        necessary to carry out those recommendations may not be 
        available.
            ``(3) The Holocaust is a sensitive and difficult subject to 
        teach effectively, and educators need appropriate teaching 
        tools and training to increase their knowledge of the Holocaust 
        and enhance the educational experience.
    ``(b) Statement of Purpose.--It is the purpose of this subpart--
            ``(1) to educate students in the United States so that 
        they--
                    ``(A) may explore the lessons that the Holocaust 
                provides for all people; and
                    ``(B) may be less susceptible to the falsehood of 
                Holocaust denial and to the destructive messages of 
                hate that arise from Holocaust denial; and
            ``(2) to provide resources and support for educational 
        programs that--
                    ``(A) portray accurate historical information about 
                the Holocaust;
                    ``(B) sensitize communities to the circumstances 
                that gave rise to the Holocaust;
                    ``(C) convey the lessons that the Holocaust 
                provides for all people; and
                    ``(D) develop curriculum guides and provide 
                training to help teachers incorporate the study of the 
                Holocaust and its lessons into mainstream disciplines.

``SEC. 5633. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``The Secretary is authorized to award grants to educational 
organizations to carry out proposed or existing Holocaust educational 
programs.

``SEC. 5634. APPLICATION.

    ``The Secretary may award a grant under this subpart only to an 
educational organization that has submitted an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require.

``SEC. 5635. USE OF GRANTS.

    ``(a) In General.--An educational organization receiving a grant 
under this subpart may use the grant only to carry out the Holocaust 
education program for which the grant was provided.
    ``(b) Requirements.--An educational organization receiving a grant 
under this subpart shall comply with the following requirements:
            ``(1) Continuation of eligibility.--The educational 
        organization shall, throughout the period that the educational 
        organization receives and uses the grant, continue to be an 
        educational organization.
            ``(2) Supplementation of existing funds.--The educational 
        organization shall ensure that the grant is used to supplement, 
        and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be 
        available to the educational organization to carry out the 
        Holocaust education program for which the grant was provided.
    ``(c) Additional Conditions.--The Secretary may require additional 
terms and conditions in connection with the use of grants provided 
under this subpart as the Secretary considers appropriate.
    ``(d) Cooperative Arrangements.--The Secretary should encourage 
educational organizations to work cooperatively with State educational 
agencies or local educational agencies in applying for and using grants 
under this subpart.

``SEC. 5636. SELECTION CRITERIA.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants under this 
subpart in accordance with competitive criteria to be established by 
the Secretary.
    ``(b) Consultation With Holocaust Educators.--In establishing the 
competitive criteria under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult 
with a number of prominent educators in the field of Holocaust 
education, to be determined by the Secretary.

``SEC. 5637. REVIEW AND SANCTIONS.

    ``(a) Annual Review.--The Secretary shall review at least annually 
each educational organization receiving a grant under this subpart to 
determine the extent to which the educational organization has complied 
with the provisions of this subpart and any regulation issued under 
this subpart.
    ``(b) Imposition of Sanctions.--The Secretary may impose 1 or more 
sanctions, to be determined by the Secretary, on an educational 
organization for the failure of the educational organization to comply 
substantially with the provisions of this subpart or any regulation 
issued under this subpart.

``SEC. 5638. ANNUAL REPORT.

    ``Not later than February 1 of each year, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report describing the activities carried out under 
this subpart and containing any related information that the Secretary 
considers appropriate.

``SEC. 5639. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subpart:
            ``(1) Educational organization.--The term `educational 
        organization' means an entity--
                    ``(A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
                    ``(B) exempt from tax under section 501(a) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
                    ``(C) organized and operated for cultural, 
                literary, or educational purposes.
            ``(2) Holocaust education program.--The term `Holocaust 
        education program' means a program that--
                    ``(A) has as its specific and primary purpose to 
                improve awareness and understanding of the Holocaust; 
                and
                    ``(B) to achieve such purpose, furnishes 1 or more 
                of the following:
                            ``(i) Educational materials.
                            ``(ii) Student and school-based activities, 
                        including field trips.
                            ``(iii) Teacher training.
                            ``(iv) Any other good or service designed 
                        to improve awareness and understanding of the 
                        Holocaust.
            ``(3) Holocaust.--The term `Holocaust' means the systemic, 
        state-sponsored, mass murders by Nazi Germany of 6,000,000 
        Jews, and millions of others, in the name of racial purity.

``SEC. 5640. REGULATIONS.

    ``The Secretary shall issue any regulations necessary to carry out 
this subpart.

``SEC. 5641. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for the 
first fiscal year beginning on or after the date of enactment of this 
subpart, and for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years, $2,000,000 for 
grants under this subpart. Amounts appropriated pursuant to this 
subpart shall remain available until expended.''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 is amended by adding after the item relating to 
section 5618 the following:

          ``Subpart 22--Holocaust Education Assistance Program

``Sec. 5631. Short title.
``Sec. 5632. Findings and purposes.
``Sec. 5633. Program authorized.
``Sec. 5634. Application.
``Sec. 5635. Use of grants.
``Sec. 5636. Selection criteria.
``Sec. 5637. Review and sanctions.
``Sec. 5638. Annual report.
``Sec. 5639. Definitions.
``Sec. 5640. Regulations.
``Sec. 5641. Authorization of appropriations.''.
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