NY State Senate Bill 2017-S5933

Senate Bill S5933

2017-2018 Legislative Session

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

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to education
May 08, 2017	referred to education

2017-S5933 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §801-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S1104
2021-2022: S833
2023-2024: S3181

2017-S5933 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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.

2017-S5933 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S5933

 TITLE OF BILL :

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

 PURPOSE :

To incorporate into school curriculum, from kindergarten through grade
12, instruction in civility, citizenship, principle of honesty,
tolerance, racial and global harmony, personal responsibility, morals,
ethics, respect for others, observance of laws and rules, courtesy,
dignity, and other traits that will enhance the quality of their
experiences in, and contributions to, the community.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section I of the bill includes a broader scope of principles that will
take on racial and global harmony and increase morals and ethics
amongst students.

Section II of the bill requires that the boards of education and
trustees of the cities and school districts to instruct the teachers
employed in the schools commencing with the 2013-2014 school year, and

kindergarten through 12th grade.

Section III sets forth the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

With the increase of civic disengagement as reported in the media
every day, the need to formally teach and encourage basic civic
principles is paramount. Targeting our education system to mandate the
teaching of civic duties is the best way to do so as the classroom
provides an appropriate setting to harness democratic ideals and
principles amongst students that will offset the lack thereof. It is
up to the state's education system to make our students informed
citizens of tomorrow. Society needs activists that will participate in
elections and make well informed choices.

Florida has already taken on this role to educate its students in
civic education by mandating that 30% of a child's final test grade in
2013 school year be affected by this. New York should set the tone by
passing legislation to educate our students about their civic duties.

2017-S5933 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5933
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 8, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed 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:
 
   Section 1. Section 801-a of the education law, as amended  by  chapter
 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   § 801-a. Instruction in civility, citizenship and character education.
 1.  The  regents  shall  ensure that the course of instruction in grades
 kindergarten through twelve includes a component on  civility,  citizen-
 ship  and character education. Such component shall instruct students on
 the  principles  of  honesty,  tolerance,  RACIAL  AND  GLOBAL  HARMONY,
 personal  responsibility, MORALS AND ETHICS, respect for others, with an
 emphasis on discouraging acts of harassment,  bullying,  discrimination,
 observance  of  laws and rules, courtesy, dignity and other traits which
 will enhance the quality of their experiences in, and contributions  to,
 the community. THE INSTRUCTION SHALL EMPHASIZE THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION
 OF SUCH LESSONS AND THE SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM IMPACT ON THE STUDENT'S
 LIFE AND ON THE LIVES OF OTHERS OF IMPLEMENTING THE LESSONS.
   2.  THE  BOARDS  OF  EDUCATION  AND  TRUSTEES OF THE CITIES AND SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS OF THE STATE SHALL REQUIRE INSTRUCTION TO  BE  GIVEN  IN  SUCH
 MATTERS  FOR  A  MINIMUM  PERIOD  OF TWO HOURS PER WEEK, BY THE TEACHERS
 EMPLOYED IN THE SCHOOLS THEREIN, COMMENCING WITH THE TWO THOUSAND SEVEN-
 TEEN--TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN SCHOOL YEAR. ALL PUPILS OVER THE AGE OF FIVE
 YEARS WHO ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHALL RECEIVE SUCH INSTRUCTION.
   3. Such component shall include instruction of safe,  responsible  use
 of  the internet and electronic communications. The regents shall deter-
 mine how to incorporate such component in  existing  curricula  and  the
 commissioner  shall  promulgate any regulations needed to carry out such
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00410-01-7

 S. 5933                             2
 
 determination of the regents. For the purposes of this section,  "toler-
 ance,"  "respect  for  others" and "dignity" shall include awareness and
 sensitivity to harassment, bullying, discrimination and civility in  the
 relations  of  people  of  different  races,  weights, national origins,
 ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abili-
 ties, sexual orientations, genders, and sexes.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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