S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    209
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. L. ROSENTHAL, THIELE, J. RIVERA -- Multi-Spon-
   sored by -- M. of A. COOK, NIOU, 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:
 
   Section 1. For purposes of this act, "media literacy" shall be consid-
 ered a broad term that encompasses consumption and production  of  media
 and  digital  products and is defined as the ability to access, analyze,
 evaluate, act and create with all forms  of  communication,  and  encom-
 passes the foundational skills of digital citizenship and internet safe-
 ty  including  the  norms of appropriate, responsible, healthy behavior,
 and cyberbullying prevention.
   § 2. The commissioner of education, in  cooperation  with  experts  in
 media  literacy,  the board of regents of the university of the state of
 New York,  and  stakeholders  including  educators  and  parents,  shall
 appoint  a  media literacy advisory committee ("committee") to conduct a
 study on teaching of media literacy in schools.
   § 3. The committee shall make a report of its findings, including  any
 recommendations  for  legislative  action  as  it may deem necessary and
 appropriate, best practices for instruction that provides guidance about
 thoughtful, safe, and strategic uses of online and other media resources
 and education on how to apply critical thinking  skills  when  consuming
 and  producing  media  in any form. These recommendations and best prac-
 tices may include, but are not limited to:

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

                                                            LBD00355-01-1

 A. 209                              2
 
   (a) revisions to state education standards and the state instructional
 technology plan;
   (b)  revisions to policies and procedures on media literacy, including
 digital citizenship and internet safety;
   (c) school district processes necessary to develop  customized  school
 district  policies  and  procedures on electronic resources and internet
 safety that can be used within a school district technology plan;
   (d) best practices, resources, and models  for  instruction  in  media
 literacy;
   (e)  best  practices, resources, and models for instruction of digital
 citizenship, including media  literacy,  that  are  compliant  with  the
 federal universal service e-rate program administered by the schools and
 libraries  division  of the universal service administrative company and
 federal  mandates  established  in  the  federal   children's   internet
 protection act; and
   (f) strategies that will support school districts in local implementa-
 tion  of the best practices and recommendations developed by the commit-
 tee, including strategies for  delivering  professional  development  to
 educators and administrators.
   §  4. The report required by section three of this act shall be deliv-
 ered to the governor, the temporary president  of  the  senate  and  the
 speaker  of the assembly no later than one year after the effective date
 of this act.
   § 5. The education law is amended by adding a new section 756 to  read
 as follows:
   §  756.  ANNUAL REVIEW OF MEDIA LITERACY POLICY AND PROCEDURES. 1. FOR
 PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "MEDIA LITERACY" SHALL BE CONSIDERED  A  BROAD
 TERM  THAT  ENCOMPASSES  CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION OF MEDIA AND DIGITAL
 PRODUCTS AND IS DEFINED AS THE ABILITY TO ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, ACT
 AND CREATE WITH ALL FORMS OF COMMUNICATION, AND ENCOMPASSES THE  FOUNDA-
 TIONAL  SKILLS  OF DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP AND INTERNET SAFETY INCLUDING THE
 NORMS OF APPROPRIATE, RESPONSIBLE, HEALTHY BEHAVIOR,  AND  CYBERBULLYING
 PREVENTION.
   2. BEGINNING IN THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE
 SCHOOL YEAR, A MEDIA LITERACY ADVISORY COMMITTEE SHALL BE CREATED WITHIN
 THE  DEPARTMENT  TO  REVIEW AND AMEND THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON MEDIA
 LITERACY. THE COMMITTEE,  IN  CONJUNCTION  WITH  NATIONAL  OR  STATEWIDE
 ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSED ON MEDIA LITERACY, SHALL:
   (A) INVOLVE A REPRESENTATION OF PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, TEACHERS, TEACH-
 ER  LIBRARIANS,  OTHER  SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, PUPILS,
 AND COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES WITH  EXPERIENCE  OR  EXPERTISE  IN  MEDIA
 LITERACY ISSUES;
   (B) CONSIDER CUSTOMIZING THE MODEL POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON ELECTRONIC
 RESOURCES;
   (C) CONSIDER EXISTING SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOURCES; AND
   (D)  CONSIDER BEST PRACTICES, RESOURCES, AND MODELS FOR INSTRUCTION IN
 MEDIA LITERACY, INCLUDING METHODS TO INVOLVE PARENTS.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.