Assembly Bill A6315

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to authorizing Bible literacy courses in public schools

download bill text pdf

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly 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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2019-A6315 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §817, Ed L

2019-A6315 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to authorizing Bible literacy courses in public schools; directs the commissioner to promulgate regulations establishing an elective course of studies in Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament of the Bible to teach students knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture, including literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and public policy.

2019-A6315 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6315
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 5, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. DiPIETRO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to Bible literacy courses
   in public schools
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 817 to
 read as follows:
   § 817. COURSE OF INSTRUCTION ON BIBLE LITERACY.   1. THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS TO ESTABLISH ELECTIVE SOCIAL STUDIES COURS-
 ES  OF  STUDY  ON THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES, OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE, THE
 NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE OR THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES AND THE  NEW  TESTA-
 MENT OF THE BIBLE.
   2. THE PURPOSE OF A COURSE OF STUDY UNDER THIS SECTION IS TO:
   (A)  TEACH STUDENTS KNOWLEDGE OF BIBLICAL CONTENT, CHARACTERS, POETRY,
 AND NARRATIVES THAT  ARE  PREREQUISITES  TO  UNDERSTANDING  CONTEMPORARY
 SOCIETY  AND  CULTURE, INCLUDING LITERATURE, ART, MUSIC, MORES, ORATORY,
 AND PUBLIC POLICY; AND
   (B) FAMILIARIZE STUDENTS WITH, AS APPLICABLE:
   (I) THE CONTENTS OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES OR NEW TESTAMENT;
   (II) THE HISTORY OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES OR NEW TESTAMENT;
   (III) THE LITERARY STYLE AND STRUCTURE OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES OR NEW
 TESTAMENT; AND
   (IV) THE INFLUENCE OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES OR NEW TESTAMENT  ON  LAW,
 HISTORY,  GOVERNMENT,  LITERATURE,  ART, MUSIC, CUSTOMS, MORALS, VALUES,
 AND CULTURE.
   3. A STUDENT SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO USE A  SPECIFIC  TRANSLATION  AS
 THE  SOLE  TEXT OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES OR NEW TESTAMENT AND MAY USE AS
 THE BASIC TEXTBOOK A DIFFERENT TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW  SCRIPTURES  OR
 NEW TESTAMENT FROM THAT CHOSEN BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10098-01-9

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