HARRISBURG, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video is from Sept. 11, 2023.
A new law aims to help students and teachers who may not have been alive to witness the aftermath of 9/11 understand the events and significance of the tragedy.
Senate Bill 285, amended and signed into law as House Bill 1097, was originally sponsored by Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York).
“Today’s high school students and even some of our newest teachers were not alive during the horrific events of 9/11,” Phillips-Hill said. “I am pleased to see the governor sign this bill into law that will give our schools the resources necessary to teach the events leading up to, during, and after Sept. 11, 2001.”
The senator says the bill is not an unfunded mandate on schools and will help guide schools in their curriculum development to teach about the historical context of terrorism, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the United Airlines Flight 93 crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The materials will also cover the country’s response to and the global impact of the terrorist attacks.
“Our nation and our world have changed so much because of the actions that played out on that fateful day. It is important we never forget the horrific terrorist attacks that left a lasting impact on American history and foreign policy,” Phillips-Hill said.
The Department of Education has one year to make the curriculum and materials available for schools.