Bill Text: NY A00150 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs the commissioner of education to appoint a media literacy advisory committee to study the teaching of media literacy; requires such committee to annually review policy on media literacy.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-08 - referred to education [A00150 Detail]
Download: New_York-2025-A00150-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 150 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, KELLES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to direct the commissioner of education to appoint a media liter- acy advisory committee to study the teaching of media literacy; and to amend the education law, in relation to creating a media literacy advisory committee to annually review policy and procedures on media literacy The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. For purposes of this act, "media literacy" shall be consid- 2 ered a broad term that encompasses consumption and production of media 3 and digital products and is defined as the ability to access, analyze, 4 evaluate, act and create with all forms of communication, and encom- 5 passes the foundational skills of digital citizenship and internet safe- 6 ty including the norms of appropriate, responsible, healthy behavior, 7 and cyberbullying prevention. 8 § 2. The commissioner of education, in cooperation with experts in 9 media literacy, the board of regents of the university of the state of 10 New York, and stakeholders including educators and parents, shall 11 appoint a media literacy advisory committee ("committee") to conduct a 12 study on teaching of media literacy in schools. 13 § 3. The committee shall make a report of its findings, including any 14 recommendations for legislative action as it may deem necessary and 15 appropriate, best practices for instruction that provides guidance about 16 thoughtful, safe, and strategic uses of online and other media resources 17 and education on how to apply critical thinking skills when consuming 18 and producing media in any form. These recommendations and best prac- 19 tices may include, but are not limited to: 20 (a) revisions to state education standards and the state instructional 21 technology plan; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01340-01-5A. 150 2 1 (b) revisions to policies and procedures on media literacy, including 2 digital citizenship and internet safety; 3 (c) school district processes necessary to develop customized school 4 district policies and procedures on electronic resources and internet 5 safety that can be used within a school district technology plan; 6 (d) best practices, resources, and models for instruction in media 7 literacy; 8 (e) best practices, resources, and models for instruction of digital 9 citizenship, including media literacy, that are compliant with the 10 federal universal service e-rate program administered by the schools and 11 libraries division of the universal service administrative company and 12 federal mandates established in the federal children's internet 13 protection act; and 14 (f) strategies that will support school districts in local implementa- 15 tion of the best practices and recommendations developed by the commit- 16 tee, including strategies for delivering professional development to 17 educators and administrators. 18 § 4. The report required by section three of this act shall be deliv- 19 ered to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the 20 speaker of the assembly no later than one year after the effective date 21 of this act. 22 § 5. The education law is amended by adding a new section 756 to read 23 as follows: 24 § 756. Annual review of media literacy policy and procedures. 1. For 25 purposes of this section, "media literacy" shall be considered a broad 26 term that encompasses consumption and production of media and digital 27 products and is defined as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, act 28 and create with all forms of communication, and encompasses the founda- 29 tional skills of digital citizenship and internet safety including the 30 norms of appropriate, responsible, healthy behavior, and cyberbullying 31 prevention. 32 2. Beginning in the two thousand twenty-six--two thousand twenty-seven 33 school year, a media literacy advisory committee shall be created within 34 the department to review and amend the policy and procedures on media 35 literacy. The committee, in conjunction with national or statewide 36 organizations focused on media literacy, shall: 37 (a) involve a representation of parents or guardians, teachers, teach- 38 er librarians, other school employees, school administrators, pupils, 39 and community representatives with experience or expertise in media 40 literacy issues; 41 (b) consider customizing the model policy and procedures on electronic 42 resources; 43 (c) consider existing school district resources; and 44 (d) consider best practices, resources, and models for instruction in 45 media literacy, including methods to involve parents. 46 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
