Bill Text: NY A00073 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the public school curriculum for children in kindergarten through grade twelve to include a minimum of two hours per week instruction in civics lessons.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to education [A00073 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A00073-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          73
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 7, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. ROZIC -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Education
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring  the  public
         school curriculum for children in kindergarten through grade twelve to
         include a minimum of two hours per week instruction in civics lessons
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Section 801-a of the education law, as amended  by  chapter
    2  102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
    3    S 801-a. Instruction in civility, citizenship and character education.
    4  1.  The  regents  shall  ensure that the course of instruction in grades
    5  kindergarten through twelve includes a component on  civility,  citizen-
    6  ship  and character education. Such component shall instruct students on
    7  the  principles  of  honesty,  tolerance,  RACIAL  AND  GLOBAL  HARMONY,
    8  personal  responsibility, MORALS AND ETHICS, respect for others, with an
    9  emphasis on discouraging acts of harassment,  bullying,  discrimination,
   10  observance  of  laws and rules, courtesy, dignity and other traits which
   11  will enhance the quality of their experiences in, and contributions  to,
   12  the community. THE INSTRUCTION SHALL EMPHASIZE THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION
   13  OF SUCH LESSONS AND THE SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM IMPACT ON THE STUDENT'S
   14  LIFE AND ON THE LIVES OF OTHERS OF IMPLEMENTING THE LESSONS.
   15    2.  THE  BOARDS  OF  EDUCATION  AND  TRUSTEES OF THE CITIES AND SCHOOL
   16  DISTRICTS OF THE STATE SHALL REQUIRE INSTRUCTION TO  BE  GIVEN  IN  SUCH
   17  MATTERS  FOR  A  MINIMUM  PERIOD  OF TWO HOURS PER WEEK, BY THE TEACHERS
   18  EMPLOYED IN THE  SCHOOLS  THEREIN,  COMMENCING  WITH  THE  TWO  THOUSAND
   19  FIFTEEN--TWO  THOUSAND  SIXTEEN  SCHOOL YEAR. ALL PUPILS OVER THE AGE OF
   20  FIVE YEARS WHO ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHALL RECEIVE SUCH INSTRUCTION.
   21    3. Such component shall include instruction of safe,  responsible  use
   22  of  the internet and electronic communications. The regents shall deter-
   23  mine how to incorporate such component in  existing  curricula  and  the
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00637-01-5
       A. 73                               2
    1  commissioner  shall  promulgate any regulations needed to carry out such
    2  determination of the regents. For the purposes of this section,  "toler-
    3  ance,"  "respect  for  others" and "dignity" shall include awareness and
    4  sensitivity  to harassment, bullying, discrimination and civility in the
    5  relations of people  of  different  races,  weights,  national  origins,
    6  ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abili-
    7  ties, sexual orientations, genders, and sexes.
    8    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.