State of Florida Mandated Legislation
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 1003.42, Florida Statutes (1994), is amended (2020) to read:
(g) 1. Members of the instructional staff of the public schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy, following the prescribed courses of study, and employing approved methods of instruction, the following:
The history of the Holocaust (1933-1945), the systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic values and institutions, including the policy against anti-Semitism, as described in s.1000.05 (7).
2. The second week in November shall be designated as "Holocaust Education Week" in this state in recognition that November is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, widely recognized as a precipitating event that led to the Holocaust.
FL. ST. 1003.42 Required Instruction. (1994)-Amended in 2020 to include the policy against anti-Semitism, as described in s. 1000.05 (7).
(7) A public K-20 educational institution must treat discrimination by students or employees or resulting from institutional policies motivated by anti-Semitic intent in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race. For purposes of this section, the term “anti-Semitism” includes a certain perception of the Jewish people, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jewish people, rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism directed toward a person, his or her property, or toward Jewish community institutions or religious facilities.
(a) Examples of anti-Semitism include:
1. Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews, often in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
2. Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as a collective, especially, but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
3. Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, the State of Israel, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
4. Accusing Jews as a people or the State of Israel of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
5. Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interest of their own nations.
(b) Examples of anti-Semitism related to Israel include:
1. Demonizing Israel by using the symbols and images associated with classic anti-Semitism to characterize Israel or Israelis, drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis, or blaming Israel for all inter-religious or political tensions.
2. Applying a double standard to Israel by requiring behavior of Israel that is not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation or focusing peace or human rights investigations only on Israel.
3. Delegitimizing Israel by denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination and denying Israel the right to exist.
Legislation: 1.015, F.S., This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to adopt the working definition developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) of the term “antisemitism” to assist in the monitoring and reporting of anti-
Semitic hate crimes and discrimination and to make residents aware of and to combat such incidents in this state.
(2) As adopted by the IHRA on May 26, 2016, and as used in these statutes, the term “antisemitism” means a certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish and non-Jewish individuals and their property and toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
(3) Contemporary examples of antisemitism include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(a) Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jewish individuals.
(b) Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jewish individuals as such or the power of Jewish people as a collective, such as the myth of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy or of Jewish individuals controlling the media, economy, government, or other societal institutions.
(c) Accusing Jewish people as a collective of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group or for acts committed by non-Jewish individuals.
(d) Denying the fact, scope, and mechanisms, such as gas chambers, or the intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of Nazi Germany and its supporters and accomplices during the Holocaust.
(e) Accusing Jewish people as a collective, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
(f) Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jewish individuals worldwide, than to the interests of their respective nations.
(g) Denying Jewish people their right to self-determination, such as claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
(h) Applying double standards by requiring of the Jewish state of Israel a standard of behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
(i) Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism, such as blood libel, to characterize Israel or Israelis.
(j) Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
(k) Holding Jewish individuals collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel.
(4) This section may not be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or to conflict with federal or state antidiscrimination laws.
State of Florida Mandated Legislation
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