HR2585-119

What This Bill Does

The Armenian Genocide Education Act directs the Librarian of Congress to establish and carry out a national Armenian Genocide education program. The bill defines the Armenian Genocide as Ottoman Turkey's systematic state-sponsored mass murder, dispossession, cultural erasure, and exile of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians from 1915 to 1923. The program must develop and disseminate accurate, relevant, accessible resources, including digital resources and possibly print resources or traveling exhibitions; develop sound pedagogy; provide professional development through workshops, teacher trainings, genocide education centers, local educational agencies, high schools, middle grades, and a teacher fellowship program; engage state and local education leaders to encourage curriculum adoption; and evaluate program impact. The Librarian may enter agreements with local educational agencies, independent schools, and entities working with schools, prioritizing applicants that do not already offer Armenian Genocide education. The Library of Congress must maintain a public website section with resources and best practices, may accept private gifts into a dedicated gift account, must report annually starting February 1, 2026, and receives $2 million for fiscal year 2026 and each of the next four fiscal years.

Who Benefits and How

Students benefit from accurate Armenian Genocide resources, curriculum adoption, and lessons on genocide, hate, denial, and distortion. Teachers benefit from professional development, workshops, teacher trainings, pedagogy materials, and a teacher fellowship program. Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, Aramean, and Maronite communities benefit from federal recognition of genocide education and denial prevention. Local educational agencies benefit from agreements, resources, and assistance when they lack existing Armenian Genocide education programs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Librarian of Congress must create resources, agreements, online materials, gift-account controls, evaluations, annual reports, and program administration. Program participants must apply, carry out agreed activities, and use assistance to improve Armenian Genocide education. Federal taxpayers bear $2 million per year in authorized appropriations from fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Education leaders must decide whether and how to adopt the resources into curricula across disciplines.

Key Provisions

• Creates a Library of Congress program supporting Armenian Genocide education resources, pedagogy, professional development, and curriculum adoption.
• Authorizes agreements with local educational agencies, independent schools, and entities working with schools.
• Requires a public online Armenian Genocide education resource section and annual reports to Congress beginning in 2026.
• Authorizes private gifts through a dedicated gift account and $2 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.