Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to educational organizations to carry out educational programs about the Holocaust.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2651 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2651
To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to educational
organizations to carry out educational programs about the Holocaust.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 25, 2006
Mr. Menendez (for himself and Mr. DeWine) 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 make 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education
Assistance Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Holocaust was an historical event that resulted in
the systemic, state-sponsored mass murders by Nazi Germany of
approximately 6,000,000 Jews, along with millions of others, in
the name of racial purity.
(2) Six States (California, Florida, Illinois,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York) now mandate that the
Holocaust be taught in the educational curriculum, 11 States
(Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and
Washington) recommend teaching the Holocaust but do not provide
sufficient funds to assist in the training and educating of
teachers, and 3 States (Alabama, Mississippi, and West
Virginia) have established councils or commissions that promote
Holocaust education.
(3) The Holocaust is a sensitive and difficult issue about
which to teach, and to do so effectively, educators need
appropriate teaching tools and training to increase their
knowledge to enhance the educational experience.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are the following:
(1) To educate Americans so that they can--
(A) explore the lessons that the Holocaust provides
for all people; and
(B) be less susceptible to the falsehood of
Holocaust denial and to the destructive messages of
hate that arise from Holocaust denial.
(2) To provide resources and support for education 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) by developing curriculum guides and providing
training, help teachers incorporate into their
mainstream disciplines the study of the Holocaust and
its lessons.
SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.
From any amounts made available to carry out this Act, the
Secretary may make grants under this Act to educational organizations
to carry out proposed or existing Holocaust education programs.
SEC. 4. USE OF GRANT AMOUNTS.
(a) In General.--An educational organization receiving grant
amounts under this Act shall use such grant amounts only to carry out
the Holocaust education program for which the grant amounts were
provided.
(b) Requirements.--An educational organization receiving grant
amounts under this Act shall comply with the following requirements:
(1) Continuation of eligibility.--The educational
organization shall, throughout the period that the educational
organization receives and uses such grant amounts, continue to
be an educational organization.
(2) Supplementation of existing funds.--The educational
organization shall ensure that such grant amounts are 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 amounts
were provided.
(c) Additional Conditions.--The Secretary may require additional
terms and conditions in connection with the use of grant amounts
provided under this Act as the Secretary considers appropriate.
SEC. 5. SELECTION CRITERIA.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grant amounts under this
Act 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 variety of individuals, to be determined by the Secretary, who
are prominent educators in the field of Holocaust education.
SEC. 6. APPLICATION.
The Secretary may award grant amounts under this Act 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. 7. REVIEW AND SANCTIONS.
(a) Annual Review.--The Secretary shall review at least annually
each educational organization receiving grant amounts under this Act to
determine the extent to which the educational organization has complied
with the provisions of this Act.
(b) Imposition of Sanctions.--The Secretary may impose sanctions on
an educational organization for any failure of the educational
organization to comply substantially with the provisions of this Act.
The Secretary shall establish the sanctions to be imposed for a failure
to comply substantially with the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORT.
Not later than February 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit
to the Senate and House of Representatives a report describing the
activities carried out under this Act and containing any related
information that the Secretary considers appropriate.
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
(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 one or more
of the following:
(i) Classes, seminars, or conferences.
(ii) Educational materials.
(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 historical
event that resulted in the systemic, state-sponsored mass
murders by Nazi Germany of approximately 6,000,000 Jews, along
with millions of others, in the name of racial purity.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
SEC. 10. REGULATIONS.
The Secretary shall issue any regulations necessary to carry out
this Act.
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
For grants under this Act, there is authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary $2,000,000 each fiscal year for five fiscal years,
beginning with the first fiscal year to commence after the date of
enactment of this Act, to remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3513)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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