José Menéndez, a Democrat, introduced a bill in the Texas state Senate that would create a four-year pilot program at certain public colleges and universities to prepare future teachers to teach about the Holocaust.
The legislation, Senate Bill 134, calls for the new Holocaust education teacher-training program in school districts that had “low participation in Holocaust Remembrance Week instruction.”
The bill was one of 61 that Menéndez, a state senator since 2015, filed on Nov. 9, the first day members were able to file legislation for the next session.
The legislation, which does not identify districts or specify a threshold, would require public school districts and charter schools to submit annual reports detailing their Holocaust Remembrance Week activities, lessons and instructional materials.
The Texas Education Agency would compile the reports and share them with regional education service centers and the Texas Holocaust, Genocide and Antisemitism Advisory Commission.
A proposed grant program, dependent on funding, would support lesson plans, educator training, digital resources and bilingual curricula. Grants could also fund trips to Holocaust museums, with priority for campuses in urban and rural districts.
The bill proposes a Sept. 1, 2027, effective date, with school reporting requirements beginning in the 2027-28 academic year.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board would select institutions for the pilot by May 1, 2028.
