‘An Act To Require Education about the History of Genocide’
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4706, as amended by PL 2009, c. 313, §§8 and 9, is further amended to read:
§ 4706. Instruction in American history, Maine studies, Maine Native American history and genocide
Instruction in American history, government, citizenship and , Maine studies and the history of genocide must be aligned with the parameters for essential instruction and graduation requirements established under section 6209.
1. American history. American history, government and citizenship, including the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the importance of voting and the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship, must be taught in and required for graduation from all elementary and secondary schools, both public and private.
2. Maine studies. Maine history, including the Constitution of Maine, Maine geography and environment and the natural, industrial and economic resources of Maine and Maine's cultural and ethnic heritage, must be taught. A required component of Maine studies is Maine Native American studies, which must be included in the review of content standards and performance indicators of the learning results conducted in accordance with section 6209, subsection 4. The Maine Native American studies must address the following topics:
A. Maine tribal governments and political systems and their relationship with local, state, national and international governments;
B. Maine Native American cultural systems and the experience of Maine tribal people throughout history;
C. Maine Native American territories; and
D. Maine Native American economic systems.
3. Genocide. The history of genocide, including the Holocaust, must be taught and must be included in the review of content standards and performance indicators of the system of learning results conducted in accordance with section 6209, subsection 4. For purposes of this subsection, "Holocaust" is the program of discriminatory and genocidal laws, policies or actions targeted against discrete groups of individuals based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical disability or national origin, from January 1, 1933 to December 31, 1945, in Nazi Germany or in any European country allied with or occupied by Nazi Germany.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Learning Systems Team Z081
Initiative: Provides one-time funds for the costs associated with the Department of Education holding meetings with stakeholders to revise the social studies standards.
| GENERAL FUND | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
|
All Other
|
$9,000 | $0 |
 |
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $9,000 | $0 |
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment replaces the bill. It requires that the history of genocide, including the Holocaust, to be taught in schools, aligned with the parameters for essential instruction and graduation requirements and included in the review of content standards and performance indicators of the system of learning results. It adds an appropriations and allocations section.
The fiscal note on this amendment identifies certain requirements in the amendment as a potential state mandate. In order to be a mandate pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, a provision must require a local unit of government to expand or modify its activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local revenue. The committee finds that the provision in the bill requiring the history of genocide to be taught in schools, the provision the fiscal note identifies as potentially a mandate, does not create a mandate since the history of genocide relates to topics already required to be taught in schools and so should not cause any school to expand or modify its activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local revenue.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)