S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3797
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 28, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. DICKENS, ENGLEBRIGHT, SEAWRIGHT, SIMON -- read
   once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring  regulations
   directing  the state university of New York and the city university of
   New York to establish courses of  study  on  ethnic  studies,  women's
   studies, and social justice
 
   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  208-b
 to read as follows:
   §  208-B.  COURSES  ON  ETHNIC  STUDIES,  WOMEN'S  STUDIES, AND SOCIAL
 JUSTICE.  1. THE COMMISSIONER AND THE BOARD OF  REGENTS  ARE  AUTHORIZED
 AND DIRECTED TO ESTABLISH RULES AND/OR REGULATIONS REQUIRING EACH INSTI-
 TUTION  OF  HIGHER  LEARNING IN NEW YORK STATE TO PROVIDE FOR COURSES IN
 ETHNIC STUDIES, WOMEN'S STUDIES, AND  SOCIAL  JUSTICE  IN  EACH  OF  ITS
 CAMPUSES  AND  REQUIRING,  AS  AN  UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT,
 COMPLETION OF, AT A MINIMUM, ONE THREE-CREDIT COURSE IN ETHNIC  STUDIES,
 WOMEN'S STUDIES, OR SOCIAL JUSTICE.  SUCH REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT INCREASE
 THE  NUMBER  OF  UNITS  REQUIRED TO GRADUATE FROM THE INSTITUTION WITH A
 BACCALAUREATE DEGREE.  SUCH GRADUATION REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT APPLY TO  A
 POSTBACCALAUREATE  STUDENT  WHO  IS  ENROLLED  IN A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE
 PROGRAM AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING IF THE STUDENT  HAS  SATIS-
 FIED EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING:
   (A)  THE STUDENT HAS EARNED A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE FROM AN INSTITUTION
 ACCREDITED BY A REGIONAL ACCREDITING AGENCY.
   (B) THE STUDENT HAS COMPLETED AN ETHNIC STUDIES, WOMEN'S  STUDIES,  OR
 SOCIAL JUSTICE COURSE AT A POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION ACCRED-
 ITED BY A REGIONAL ACCREDITING AGENCY.
   2.  THE  COMMISSIONER  AND  THE  BOARD  OF  REGENTS ARE AUTHORIZED AND
 DIRECTED TO DEVELOP CORE COMPETENCIES TO BE  ACHIEVED  BY  STUDENTS  WHO
 COMPLETE  AN  ETHNIC  STUDIES, WOMEN'S STUDIES, OR SOCIAL JUSTICE COURSE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD03761-01-1

 A. 3797                             2
 
 PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF  THIS  SECTION.  SUCH  CORE  COMPETENCIES
 SHALL  BE  INTENDED  TO  ENSURE  THAT STUDENTS OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
 LEARNING IN NEW YORK ACQUIRE THE KNOWLEDGE AND  SKILLS  THAT  WILL  HELP
 THEM  COMPREHEND  THE DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE HISTORY OF THE UNITED
 STATES AND OF THE SOCIETY IN WHICH THEY LIVE TO ENABLE SUCH STUDENTS  TO
 CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY AS RESPONSIBLE AND CONSTRUCTIVE CITIZENS.
   3.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "ETHNIC STUDIES" SHALL MEAN AN
 INTERDISCIPLINARY AND COMPARATIVE  STUDY  OF  RACE  AND  ETHNICITY  WITH
 SPECIAL  FOCUS  ON  FOUR  HISTORICALLY  DEFINED  RACIALIZED CORE GROUPS:
 NATIVE AMERICANS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, ASIAN  AMERICANS,  AND  LATINA  AND
 LATINO AMERICANS.
   §  2.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 6204-b to
 read as follows:
   § 6204-B. COURSES ON  ETHNIC  STUDIES,  WOMEN'S  STUDIES,  AND  SOCIAL
 JUSTICE.  1. THE CITY UNIVERSITY IS AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO ESTABLISH
 RULES  AND/OR REGULATIONS REQUIRING EACH INSTITUTION OF THE CITY UNIVER-
 SITY TO PROVIDE FOR COURSES IN  ETHNIC  STUDIES,  WOMEN'S  STUDIES,  AND
 SOCIAL  JUSTICE IN EACH OF ITS CAMPUSES AND REQUIRING, AS AN UNDERGRADU-
 ATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT, COMPLETION OF, AT A MINIMUM, ONE  THREE-CRE-
 DIT  COURSE IN ETHNIC STUDIES, WOMEN'S STUDIES, OR SOCIAL JUSTICE.  SUCH
 REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNITS REQUIRED TO  GRADUATE
 FROM  THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY WITH A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE. SUCH GRADUATION
 REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT  APPLY  TO  A  POSTBACCALAUREATE  STUDENT  WHO  IS
 ENROLLED IN A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAM AT THE CITY UNIVERSITY IF THE
 STUDENT HAS SATISFIED EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING:
   (A)  THE STUDENT HAS EARNED A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE FROM AN INSTITUTION
 ACCREDITED BY A REGIONAL ACCREDITING AGENCY.
   (B) THE STUDENT HAS COMPLETED AN ETHNIC STUDIES, WOMEN'S  STUDIES,  OR
 SOCIAL JUSTICE COURSE AT A POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION ACCRED-
 ITED BY A REGIONAL ACCREDITING AGENCY.
   2.  THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY  IS  AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO DEVELOP CORE
 COMPETENCIES TO BE ACHIEVED BY STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE AN ETHNIC  STUDIES,
 WOMEN'S STUDIES, OR SOCIAL JUSTICE COURSE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF
 THIS  SECTION.  SUCH  CORE COMPETENCIES SHALL BE INTENDED TO ENSURE THAT
 STUDENTS OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY ACQUIRE THE KNOWLEDGE  AND  SKILLS  THAT
 WILL  HELP  THEM  COMPREHEND THE DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE HISTORY OF
 THE UNITED STATES AND OF THE SOCIETY IN WHICH THEY LIVE TO  ENABLE  SUCH
 STUDENTS  TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY AS RESPONSIBLE AND CONSTRUCTIVE CITI-
 ZENS.
   3. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "ETHNIC STUDIES"  SHALL  MEAN  AN
 INTERDISCIPLINARY  AND  COMPARATIVE  STUDY  OF  RACE  AND ETHNICITY WITH
 SPECIAL FOCUS ON  FOUR  HISTORICALLY  DEFINED  RACIALIZED  CORE  GROUPS:
 NATIVE  AMERICANS,  AFRICAN  AMERICANS,  ASIAN AMERICANS, AND LATINA AND
 LATINO AMERICANS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.