Pupil instruction: Holocaust and genocide education: notice, survey, and grant program.

Senator Stern's Holocaust and Genocide Education Grant Program legislation establishes a comprehensive framework to support instruction on these subjects in California schools serving grades 7-12. The bill creates a dedicated grant program enabling local educational agencies to fund instructional materials, educational events, teacher professional development, and related transportation costs.

The Department of Education must issue notices to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools clarifying that social science instruction includes foundational understanding of human rights, with particular focus on genocide, slavery, and the Holocaust. These notices will detail how this content aligns with state-adopted History-Social Science standards and frameworks while providing information about existing instructional resources. The department may survey schools within two years of notice distribution to assess the status of Holocaust and genocide education programs.

The bill establishes the Holocaust and Genocide Education Grant Program Fund in the State Treasury, with monies available upon legislative appropriation. The Superintendent of Public Instruction will develop detailed regulations covering grant applications, program implementation, and expenditure reporting requirements. The legislation incorporates United Nations and U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum definitions to ensure consistent understanding of key terms across educational agencies.