S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7670
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 6, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- 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 expanding the require-
   ments for teaching humane education to secondary school  students  and
   provides for the verification of compliance of such instruction

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section  809  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  542  of  the  laws  of 1994, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. A. The officer, board  or  commission  authorized  or  required  to
 prescribe  courses of instruction shall cause instruction to be given in
 every elementary school under state control or supported wholly or part-
 ly by public money of the state, in the humane treatment and  protection
 of  animals  and  the importance of the part they play in the economy of
 nature as well as the necessity  of  controlling  the  proliferation  of
 animals  which  are  subsequently abandoned and caused to suffer extreme
 cruelty. Such instruction shall be for such period of time  during  each
 school year as the board of regents may prescribe and may be joined with
 work  in  literature, reading, language, nature study or ethnology. Such
 weekly instruction may be divided into two or more periods.
   B. THE  OFFICER,  BOARD,  OR  COMMISSION  AUTHORIZED  OR  REQUIRED  TO
 PRESCRIBE  COURSES OF INSTRUCTION SHALL CAUSE INSTRUCTION TO BE GIVEN IN
 EVERY SECONDARY SCHOOL UNDER STATE CONTROL OR SUPPORTED WHOLLY OR PARTLY
 BY PUBLIC MONEY OF THE STATE, IN THE HUMANE TREATMENT AND PROTECTION  OF
 ANIMALS  AND  THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  PART THEY PLAY IN THE ECONOMY OF
 NATURE AS WELL AS THE NECESSITY  OF  CONTROLLING  THE  PROLIFERATION  OF
 ANIMALS  WHICH  ARE  SUBSEQUENTLY ABANDONED AND CAUSED TO SUFFER EXTREME
 CRUELTY.  SUCH INSTRUCTION SHALL INCLUDE EDUCATING STUDENTS ON THE PRIN-
 CIPLES OF KINDNESS TO AND RESPECT FOR ANIMALS AND OBSERVANCE OF LAWS AND
 RULES PERTAINING TO THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF  ANIMALS.  THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL  DETERMINE HOW TO INCORPORATE SUCH INSTRUCTION IN EXISTING CURRIC-
 ULA AND THE COMMISSIONER SHALL  PROMULGATE  ANY  REGULATIONS  NEEDED  TO
 CARRY OUT SUCH DETERMINATION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00984-01-1
 S. 7670                             2
 
   C.  A  school  district  shall  not  be entitled to participate in the
 public school money on account of any school or the  attendance  at  any
 school  subject  to  the  provisions of this section, if the instruction
 required [hereby] PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION is not given therein.
   §  2.    Section  809  of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 7 to read as follows:
   7. COMPLIANCE RECORDS. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MAINTAIN RECORDS VERIFY-
 ING SCHOOL COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL MAKE
 SUCH INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING ON ITS WEBSITE.
   § 3.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.