Committee OKs Haddock bill to remember 9/11 in schools
Rep. Jim Haddock May 22, 2023 | 3:58 PM
HARRISBURG, May 22 – All schools across Pennsylvania would be required to observe a moment of silence to recognize September 11th each year, under legislation that was amended and unanimously approved today by the state House Education Committee, according to the bill’s author Rep. Jim Haddock.
“The terrible events of Sept. 11, 2001, and their aftermath, changed our country forever. The impact on our foreign policy, national security, our society and our values is to this day still being studied and analyzed. Despite this, the majority of students in Pennsylvania schools are not being taught the significance of the events, nor the lasting impact they have on all our lives,” said Haddock, D-Luzerne/Lackawanna. “I introduced my bill to ensure future generations of Pennsylvanians understand the events of 9/11, as well as the impact it continues to have on the lives of all Americans.”
Under the amended bill, Haddock’s legislation also would direct the Department of Education to identify model curriculum that would inform schoolchildren about the significance of 9/11 and why they should never forget the events of, or the lives lost that day.
Before today’s vote, Haddock spoke to committee members about his recollection of the day and the memorials that commemorate the victims on the planes that were hijacked and taken down in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pa.
House Bill 1097 moves to the full state House of Representatives for consideration.