Bill > S0356

This bill creates a new statute establishing an annual Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, which aligns with the United Nations-designated International Holocaust Remembrance Day marking the anniversary of Auschwitz-Birkenau's liberation. The bill requires the Governor to annually proclaim January 27 as "Holocaust Remembrance Day" and allows for its observation in public schools and at public events, including at the State Capitol. If January 27 falls on a non-school day, schools may observe the day on the following school day or as designated by the local school board. The bill also authorizes, but does not mandate, instruction in public schools about the Holocaust's harmful impacts, the destructive nature of anti-Semitism, and the positive contributions of the Jewish community to humanity. The legislation contextualizes this commemoration by acknowledging the ongoing effects of anti-Semitism and the historical tragedy of the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of millions of Jews, Soviet civilians, persons with disabilities, and individuals targeted for their ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, and sexual orientation. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.