2016 -- H 7488

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LC004628

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - HOLOCAUST GENOCIDE EDUCATION

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Kazarian, Regunberg, Ackerman, Corvese, and Nunes

     Date Introduced: February 05, 2016

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. The title of Chapter 16-93 of the General Laws entitled "Genocide

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Education in Secondary Schools" [see Title 16 Chapter 97 – The Rhode Island Board of

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Education Act] is hereby amended to read as follows:

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CHAPTER 16-93

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GENOCIDE EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS [See Title 16 Chapter 97 – The Rhode

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Island Board of Education Act]

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CHAPTER 16-93

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HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS [See Title 16

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Chapter 97 – The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]

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     SECTION 2. Sections 16-93-1, 16-93-2 and 16-93-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-

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93 entitled "Genocide Education in Secondary Schools [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode

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Island Board of Education Act]" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-93-1. Legislative findings. -- The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:

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      (1) On November 4, 1988 the United States government ratified the International

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Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide ("Genocide

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Convention") which was approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. Upon

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ratification, the United States government recognized that throughout all periods of history,

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genocide has inflicted great losses on humanity, and was convinced that, in order to liberate

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mankind from such an odious scourge, international co-operation was required.

 

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      (2) The United States government recognizes that genocide still continues, today, in the

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twenty- first (21st) century. The United States Congress passed House Con. Resolution 467,

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"Declaring genocide in Darfur, Sudan" on July 22, 2004. On September 9, 2004, the United

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States Secretary of State Colin L. Powell told the United States Senate Foreign Relations

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Committee that "genocide has occurred and may still be occurring in Darfur. Additionally,

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President George W. Bush affirmed the Secretary of State's finding on September 21, 2004, when

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he addressed the United Nations General Assembly by saying: "At this hour, the world is

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witnessing terrible suffering and horrible crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan, crimes my

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government has concluded are genocide.'"

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      (3) The United States Department of Education says "education is primarily a State and

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local responsibility in the United States. It is States and communities, as well as public and

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private organizations of all kinds that establish schools and college and develop curricula ..."

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      (4) The State of Rhode Island also has previously demonstrated its concerns and interests

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regarding raising awareness on subject the subjects of holocaust and genocide.

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      (i) In 2000, the Rhode Island general assembly passed house bill no. 7397 "genocide and

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human rights education," requiring the Rhode Island department of education to "develop

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curricular material on genocide and human rights issues and guidelines for the teaching of that

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material."

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      (ii) In 2007, the Rhode Island general assembly passed house bill No. 5142, requiring the

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state investment commission to divest its assets from targeted companies in Sudan.

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     (iii) In 2011, the state of Rhode Island enacted an act entitled "Genocide Education in

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Secondary Schools" (Chapters 45 and 70 of the Public Laws of 2011) which emphasized a need

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to adhere to making genocide curriculum materials available including, but not limited to, the

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Holocaust, Armenia, Cambodia, and Darfur.

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     (iv) The general assembly has passed a number of resolutions condemning the Holocaust.

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     (v) The general assembly, on the 100th commemoration of the Armenian mass killings,

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declared it a genocide. (Resolution No. 198 passed by the house of representatives at its January

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session A.D. 2015 and approved April 8, 2015 entitled "House Resolution Proclaiming April 24,

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2015, as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day" to Commemorate the Armenian Genocide of

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1915 to 1923 and in Honor of Armenian-Americans" and Resolution No. 834 passed by the

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senate at its January session A.D. 2015 and approved April 15, 2015 entitled "Senate Resolution

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Proclaiming April 24, 2015, as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day" to Commemorate the

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Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923 and in Honor of Armenian-Americans".)

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     (vi) The governor, legislators, and community leaders attended and participated at the

 

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Holocaust memorial dedication in 2015 whereby a need was recognized for education on the

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topic of holocaust and genocide in Rhode Island schools.

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      (5) The establishment of free public education in the United States is intended to prepare

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citizens for participation in American social, economic, and political activities.

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      (6) The State of Rhode Island has also previously demonstrated its concerns for civic

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education, of which genocide education should be a component. In 2005, the general assembly

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directed the board of regents for elementary and secondary education to develop and adopt a set

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of grade level standards in civic education by August 31, 2007.

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      (7) Given the importance of the issue of genocide to the political affairs of the United

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States, as well as the responsibility of the state to educate its citizens, it is a fundamental

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responsibility of the State of Rhode Island to ensure that the critical subject of genocide is

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included as part of the curriculum in all public schools.

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      (8) It is the judgment of the Rhode Island general assembly to encourage that every the

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board of education in the state shall include instruction on the subject subjects of holocaust and

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genocide studies where in an appropriate place in the curriculum, for all middle and high school

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students.

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     16-93-2. Definitions. -- For the purpose of this chapter, the following words shall have

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the following meanings:

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      (1) "Genocide," as defined by the Genocide Convention: "means" any of the following

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acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious

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group, such as: (i) Killing members of the group; (ii) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to

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members of the group; (iii) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to

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bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (iv) Imposing measures intended to

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prevent births within the group and/or; (v) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another

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group.

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     (2) "Holocaust" means the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and

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murder of approximately six million (6,000,000) Jews and five million (5,000,000) other

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individuals by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.

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     16-93-3. Powers and duties. – The state shall adhere to the following procedures:

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      (1) The department of education shall make available on its website, or via other means

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curriculum materials and such other materials as may assist local and regional school committees

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in developing instructional programs pursuant to this section. The curriculum materials may shall

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include information on relevant genocides, including the Holocaust, and the genocides involving

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Armenia, Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda, and Darfur.

 

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     (2) Every school district shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on holocaust

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and genocide, utilizing, but not being limited to, the department of education materials

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commencing with the school year beginning September 2017.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - HOLOCAUST GENOCIDE EDUCATION

***

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     This act would require the inclusion of instruction on holocaust and genocide studies in

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the curriculum for all middle and high school students.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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