Holocaust Education Mandates by State
A growing number of U.S. states legally require Holocaust education in public schools — and the count keeps rising. As of July 2026, roughly 23 to 30 states mandate Holocaust (or Holocaust-and-genocide) instruction, depending on whether you count only dedicated statutes or also requirements embedded in mandatory state academic standards. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum currently lists 27. Below are the states with an explicit requirement.
How to read this list: a “mandate” here means a state law — or a mandatory statewide academic standard — that requires the Holocaust to be taught. Several additional states only encourage it (e.g., Pennsylvania, Washington, Utah), and others have a Holocaust commission or council without a classroom requirement (e.g., Nevada, South Carolina, Kansas) — those are not counted below.
States that require Holocaust education
| State | Enacted | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2021 | Holocaust and other genocides (state standards) |
| Arizona | 2021 | Holocaust and other genocides |
| Arkansas | 2021 | Holocaust and genocide |
| California | 1985 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Colorado | 2020 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Connecticut | 2018 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Delaware | 2020 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Florida | 1994 | Holocaust |
| Illinois | 1989 | Holocaust |
| Indiana | 2014 | Holocaust |
| Kentucky | 2018 | Holocaust and other genocides |
| Maine | 2021 | Holocaust, genocide, and African American studies |
| Massachusetts | 2021 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Michigan | 2016 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Minnesota | 2023 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Missouri | 2022 | Holocaust |
| Nebraska | 2022 | Holocaust and genocide |
| New Hampshire | 2020 | Holocaust and genocide |
| New Jersey | 1991 | Holocaust and genocide |
| New York | 1994 | Holocaust |
| North Carolina | 2021 | Holocaust |
| Oklahoma | 2022 | Holocaust |
| Oregon | 2019 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Rhode Island | 2016 | Holocaust and genocide |
| Tennessee | 2017 | Holocaust and other genocides (state standards) |
| Texas | 2019 | Holocaust |
| Virginia | 2009 | Holocaust and other genocides (state standards) |
| Wisconsin | 2021 | Holocaust and other genocides |
State Holocaust-education laws change frequently and sources disagree on exact counts; this list reflects the best available data as of July 2026 and should be re-verified periodically. Entries marked “state standards” require the Holocaust through mandatory statewide academic standards rather than a stand-alone statute. Sources: U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Echoes & Reflections, and Wikipedia.
Meeting your state’s requirement
Project Witness provides standards-aligned, age-appropriate Holocaust curriculum, films, and survivor testimony that help schools meet these mandates.
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