NY State Senate Bill 2019-S5431

Senate Bill S5431

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Authorizes and directs the commissioner of education and the regents of the university of the state of New York to study and improve Holocaust education within the state

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - Stricken

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
Aug 11, 2020	recommit, enacting clause stricken
Jan 08, 2020	referred to education
May 01, 2019	referred to education

co-Sponsors

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2019-S5431 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7495
Law Section:: Education

2019-S5431 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes and directs the commissioner of education and the regents of the university of the state of New York to improve Holocaust education, make funds available for more Holocaust related events, conduct studies on Holocaust education levels, and to republish certain textbooks on the Holocaust.

2019-S5431 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S5431                 REVISED 5/2/19

SPONSOR: JACOBS
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act authorizing and directing the commissioner of
education and the regents of the university of the state of New York to
study and improve Holocaust education within the state

 
PURPOSE:

This bill will strengthen and renew New York's commitment to educate
it's citizenry about the Holocaust

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 authorizes and directs the Commissioner of Education to
provide outreach, and additional resources to school districts through-
out the state concerning course work, instruction and curriculum related
to the Holocaust. Grants will be provided to school districts to assist
in securing guest speakers, events, lectures, field trips and other
materials and experiences that will enhance education of the Holocaust.
Furthermore, the Commissioner will engage in a public education campaign

and conduct a study to determine the general public's knowledge of the
Holocaust.

In addition, this bill would direct the Commissioner to complete a
comprehensive study of courses and curriculum pertaining to the Holo-
caust within New York State, in order to identify compliance with
section 801 of the education law. This legislation would also task the
Commissioner with promulgating rules and regulations needed to ensure
that all institutions comply with education law, section 801.

Section 2 directs the Board of Regents of the University of the State of
New York to update the prescribed course(s) for Holocaust education
under section 801 of education law and fully fund the republication of
volumes I and II of the "Teaching About the Holocaust and Genocide"
textbooks.

Section 3 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State recognizes the importance of major historical events and
the lessons such events can provide for future generations. For this
reason, all students are required to receive education and coursework
related to the Holocaust. However, it is becoming clear, that over time,
memories of the Holocaust are fading.

Recently, a survey commissioned by The Conference of Jewish Material
Claims Against Germany found that twenty-two percent of millennials
(ages 18-35) have not heard of the Holocaust at all. As reported in the
Washington Post, that same study concluded that two-third of American
millennials had never heard of Auschwitz. While these results are shock-
ing, similar surveys over the years have provided comparable alarming
results. For example, in a worldwide survey conducted by the Anti-Defa-
mation League in 2014, of 53,000 respondents, only slightly more than
half (fifty-four percent) had any knowledge of the Holocaust. In 2005, a
poll conducted by the American Jewish Committee found that forty-six
percent of Americans could not identify either Auschwitz, Dachau, or
Treblinka.

New York's endeavor to preserve the history of the Holocaust is a noble
undertaking to uphold the memory of those lost to this atrocity and to
ensure that history will not repeat itself. Furthermore, as the number
of Holocaust survivors dwindles, it is critically important that New
York's commitment to Holocaust education is not only preserved, but is
also strengthened.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S5431 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5431
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 1, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  JACOBS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT authorizing and directing the commissioner of education  and  the
   regents  of  the  university  of  the  state  of New York to study and
   improve Holocaust education within the state

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  commissioner of education is authorized and directed
 to:
   (a) provide outreach, and additional  resources  to  school  districts
 across  the  state  concerning  course work, instruction, and curriculum
 related to the Holocaust;
   (b) make funds available via grants  to  school  districts  for  guest
 speakers,  events,  lectures,  field  trips,  and other items related to
 enhancing education concerning the Holocaust;
   (c) engage in a public education campaign relating to the Holocaust;
   (d) conduct a study to determine the general  public's  knowledge  and
 understanding  concerning the events of the Holocaust and issue a report
 detailing such findings and recommendations concerning  the  citizenry's
 familiarity  with  the  facts and history surrounding the Holocaust. The
 commissioner shall issue such report  to  the  governor,  the  temporary
 president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority lead-
 er of the senate and the minority leader of the assembly by the first of
 January following the effective date of this act;
   (e)  conduct  a  study  regarding courses of study on the Holocaust in
 educational institutions within the state. Such  study  shall  focus  on
 identifying  whether school districts are providing a course of study or
 instruction on the Holocaust. A report of the findings of such study and
 recommendations of the commissioner of education shall be  delivered  to
 the  governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the
 assembly, the minority leader of the senate and the minority  leader  of

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

                                                            LBD06766-01-9

 S. 5431                             2
 
 the  assembly  by  the  first of January following the effective date of
 this act; and
   (f)  promulgate  regulations to ensure instruction on the Holocaust is
 provided in schools in compliance with section 801 of the education law.
   § 2. The board of regents of the university of the state of  New  York
 is authorized and directed to:
   (a)  update the prescribed courses for Holocaust education as required
 by section 801 of the education law; and
   (b) fully fund the republication of volumes I and II of the  "Teaching
 About  The  Holocaust  and  Genocide" text books, and make available for
 distribution to all school districts in New York.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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