NY State Senate Bill 2019-S242

Senate Bill S242

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to reading and posting in public schools excerpts of the writings and documents regarding American heritage

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 08, 2020	referred to education
Jan 09, 2019	referred to education

2019-S242 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §801, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S1242
2021-2022: S3631
2023-2024: S873

2019-S242 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the regents to promulgate rules to allow and encourage the reading and posting in public schools excerpts of the writings and documents regarding American heritage.

2019-S242 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S242

SPONSOR: ORTT
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
courses of instruction in patriotism and citizenship and in certain
historic documents

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation seems to promote awareness and inquiry among school
students of the writings and documents of America's forefathers as well
as current writings and documents by encouraging teachers to post
supplemental historical material in their classrooms and school build-
ings.

 
EXISTING LAW:

Adds a new subdivision 6 to § 801 of the education law to require the
regents to promulgate rules to allow school boards to allow and encour-
age teachers and administrators to read or post in a public school
building, classroom, or event excerpts or portions of various primary

source historical documents and writings. Such rules shall provide that
there shall be no content-based censorship of American history with
reference to these writings, documents and records.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Many of the state's school children lack knowledge and awareness of the
writings and documents of our forefathers and are not exposed to primary
source documents on various past and present civic affairs. A reliance
upon such documents will enable students to have a broader understanding
of the foundation of our form of government and institutions. In addi-
tion, it would provide a greater appreciation of why our government has
been the most successful and envied on earth.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S. 1242 of 2017/2018; Referred to Education Committee .

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
First of September next succeeding.

2019-S242 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    242
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  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 courses of instruction
   in patriotism and citizenship and in certain historic documents

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature  hereby  finds and
 declares that exposure of students to primary  source  documents  giving
 record  of  American  history  and  heritage should be encouraged. It is
 important that the integrity of such historical documents be  maintained
 to  preclude  intentional  or  unintentional censorship of the writings,
 documents and records documenting American history and heritage.
   § 2. Section 801 of the education law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. THE REGENTS SHALL PROMULGATE RULES WHICH SHALL PERMIT THE BOARDS OF
 EDUCATION AND TRUSTEES OF THE SEVERAL CITIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF THE
 STATE  TO  ALLOW  AND ENCOURAGE ANY TEACHER OR ADMINISTRATOR IN A PUBLIC
 SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THIS STATE TO READ OR POST IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL  BUILD-
 ING,  CLASSROOM,  OR  EVENT  EXCERPTS OR PORTIONS OF THE PREAMBLE TO THE
 STATE CONSTITUTION OF NEW YORK; THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE;  THE
 CONSTITUTION  OF  THE UNITED STATES; THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT; THE NATIONAL
 MOTTO; THE NATIONAL ANTHEM; THE  PLEDGE  OF  ALLEGIANCE;  THE  WRITINGS,
 SPEECHES, DOCUMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND PRESI-
 DENTS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES; ORGANIC DOCUMENTS FROM THE PRE-COLONIAL,
 COLONIAL, REVOLUTIONARY, FEDERALIST, AND  POST-FEDERALIST  ERAS;  UNITED
 STATES  SUPREME  COURT  DECISIONS;  ACTS  OF  THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
 INCLUDING THE PUBLISHED TEXT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD; AND ANY  OTHER
 PRIMARY SOURCE OR HISTORIC DOCUMENT. SUCH RULES SHALL PROVIDE THAT THERE
 BE  NO  CONTENT BASED CENSORSHIP OF AMERICAN HISTORY OR HERITAGE IN THIS
 STATE WITH REFERENCE TO THESE WRITINGS, DOCUMENTS, AND RECORDS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02437-01-9

 S. 242                              2
 
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the first  day  of  September  next
 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, except that any
 rules  necessary for the timely implementation of this act on its effec-
 tive date shall be promulgated on or before such date.

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