NY State Senate Bill 2023-S6350

Current Bill Status - In Assembly 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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 30, 2024	referred to education delivered to assembly passed senate
May 28, 2024	advanced to third reading
May 23, 2024	2nd report cal.
May 22, 2024	1st report cal.1462
Jan 03, 2024	referred to libraries returned to senate died in assembly
Jun 06, 2023	referred to education delivered to assembly passed senate ordered to third reading cal.1649 committee discharged and committed to rules
May 30, 2023	print number 6350b
May 30, 2023	amend and recommit to libraries
May 10, 2023	print number 6350a
May 10, 2023	amend and recommit to libraries
Apr 17, 2023	referred to libraries

Votes

- May 30, 2024 - Floor Vote
  S6350
  
  53
  
  Aye
  
  4
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Absent
  
  4
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: May 30, 2024
      
      aye (53)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Chu
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Cooney
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Martinez
      
      Martins
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Oberacker
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rhoads
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Webb
      
      Weber
      
      Weik
      
      nay (4)
      
      Borrello
      
      Murray
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      absent (1)
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      excused (4)
      
      Felder
      
      Myrie
      
      Thomas
      
      Walczyk
  Jun 6, 2023 - Floor Vote
  S6350
  
  61
  
  Aye
  
  1
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 6, 2023
      
      aye (61)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Bailey
      
      Borrello
      
      Breslin
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Chu
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Cooney
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Martinez
      
      Martins
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Murray
      
      Myrie
      
      O'Mara
      
      Oberacker
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rhoads
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Thomas
      
      Walczyk
      
      Webb
      
      Weber
      
      Weik
      
      nay (1)
      
      Ortt
      
      excused (1)
      
      Felder
  Jun 6, 2023 - Rules Committee Vote
  S6350
  
  20
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Rules Committee Vote: Jun 6, 2023
      
      aye (20)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Comrie
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Griffo
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mayer
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Thomas
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Helming
  May 22, 2024 - Libraries Committee Vote
  S6350
  
  5
  
  Aye
  
  2
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Libraries Committee Vote: May 22, 2024
      
      aye (5)
      
      Brisport
      
      Chu
      
      Mannion
      
      Ryan
      
      Serrano
      
      nay (2)
      
      Murray
      
      Tedisco

Bill Amendments

Original

B (Active)

co-Sponsors

2023-S6350 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6873
Current Committee:: Assembly Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §13, Ed L

2023-S6350 - Summary

Enacts the "freedom to read act"; requires the commissioner of education and school library systems to develop policies to ensure that school libraries and library staff are empowered to curate and develop collections that provide students with access to the widest array of developmentally appropriate materials available.

2023-S6350 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6350

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
to read act"

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure school libraries and libraries are able to offer a wide age-
appropriate materials to students.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Adds a new subdivision to Article 2 Section 13 of the Education Law to
ensure school libraries and librarians are able to provide students with
a wide array of age-appropriate materials in schools.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not
love breathing."

This quote from Scout, the young heroine of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mock-
ingbird, sums up the way censorship almost inevitably backfires.
Banning books makes people take them more seriously. In the Soviet
Union, people went to extreme lengths to gain access to both Russian and
foreign literature that was forbidden by the government, with the result
that forbidden writers gained status and reached many more readers than
they might otherwise have done.

The current wave of efforts around the country to ban books from
libraries and classrooms focuses on books that help young people under-
stand our society, our history, and personal identity from a range of
perspectives. However, there is ample research to show that children are
more excited, and therefore more likely, to read books that feature
characters with whom they can identify. Moreover, "protecting" children
from negative information or harsh realities about issues like the
history of slavery or injustice serves to make them less resilient and
less vigilant about preventing such outcomes in the future.

In a diverse state like New York, it is critical that we ensure that
students have access to a broad range of materials available to them to
let them pursue a love of learning and reading that can transport them
to the distant past, to imagined futures, or into the far reaches of our
galaxy. By ensuring that students have access to many perspectives, they
have the option to enrich their minds and broaden their perspectives.
Whether they embrace or reject those perspectives, the opportunity to
explore challenging ideas is valuable to students' development as lear-
ners, as community members, and as citizens.

Democratic self-government depends on a free exchange of ideas and
information, and our schools must continue to ensure that ideas and
information are available for students to embrace or reject in line with
their values and those they learn from their families and communities.
This bill helps to protect the freedom to read by ensuring that school
boards will continue to provide the broadest range of access to age-ap-
propriate materials in school libraries. The Dignity for All Students
Act, as it now stands, prohibits discrimination, harassment, and bully-
ing in schools. This bill amends DASA by adding a guarantee of access to
diverse reading materials.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2023-S6350 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6350
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Libraries
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the  "freedom
   to read act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "freedom to
 read act".
   § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 13 of the education  law  is  designated
 the  closing  paragraph,  and  a  new  subdivision 5 is added to read as
 follows:
   5. POLICIES TO ENSURE THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIANS ARE ABLE TO
 PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO  THE  WIDEST  ARRAY  OF  AGE-APPROPRIATE
 MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07840-04-3

co-Sponsors

2023-S6350A - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6873
Current Committee:: Assembly Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §13, Ed L

2023-S6350A - Summary

2023-S6350A - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6350A

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
to read act"

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure school libraries and libraries are able to offer a wide array
of age-appropriate materials to students.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Adds a new subdivision to Article 2 Section 13 of the Education Law to
ensure school libraries and librarians are able to provide students with
a wide array of developmentally appropriate materials in schools.  The
A-print of this legislation makes changes. to reflect the work

 
JUSTIFICATION:

"Until feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love
breathing."

This quote from Scout, the young heroine of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mock-
ingbird, sums up the way censorship almost inevitably backfires.
Banning books makes people take them more seriously. In the Soviet
Union, people went to extreme lengths to gain access to both Russian and
foreign literature that was forbidden by the government, with the result
that forbidden writers gained status and reached many more readers than
they might otherwise have done.

The current wave of efforts around the country to ban books from
libraries and classrooms focuses on books that help young people under-
stand our society, our history, and personal identity from a range of
perspectives. However, there is ample research to show that children are
more excited, and therefore more likely, to read books that feature
characters with whom they can identify. Moreover, "protecting" children
from negative information or harsh realities about issues like the
history of slavery or injustice serves to make them less resilient and
less vigilant about preventing such outcomes in the future.

In a diverse state like New York, it is critical that we ensure that
students have access to a broad range of materials available to them to
let them pursue a love of learning and reading that can transport them
to the distant past, to imagined futures, or into the far reaches of our
galaxy. By ensuring that

2023-S6350A - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6350--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. MAY, CHU, COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to  the  Committee  on  Libraries  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the  "freedom
   to read act"

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "freedom to
 read act".
   § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 13 of the education law is  redesignated
 the  closing  paragraph,  and  a  new  subdivision 5 is added to read as
 follows:
   5. POLICIES TO ENSURE THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY STAFF, INCLUD-
 ING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  CERTIFIED  LIBRARY  MEDIA  SPECIALISTS,  ARE
 EMPOWERED  TO  CURATE AND DEVELOP COLLECTIONS THAT PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH
 ACCESS TO THE WIDEST  ARRAY  OF  DEVELOPMENTALLY  APPROPRIATE  MATERIALS
 AVAILABLE TO SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07840-05-3

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6873
Current Committee:: Assembly Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §13, Ed L

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6350B

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
to read act"

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Amends sections 276 and 283 of the Education Law to ensure that school
libraries and librarians are empowered to curate the widest array of
developmentally appropriate collections for students to access.  The
B-print of this legislation changes the section of law amended.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not
love breathing."

This quote from Scout, the young heroine of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mock-
ingbird, sums up the way censorship almost inevitably backfires.

Banning books makes people take them more seriously. In the Soviet
Union, people went to extreme lengths to gain access to both Russian and
foreign literature that was forbidden by the government, with the result
that forbidden writers gained status and reached many more readers than
they might otherwise have done.

The current wave of efforts around the country to ban books from
libraries and classrooms focuses on books that help young people under-
stand our society, our history, and personal identity from a range of
perspectives. However, there is ample research to show that children are
more excited, and therefore more likely, to read books that feature
characters with whom they can identify. Moreover, "protecting" children
from negative information or harsh realities about issues like the
history of slavery or injustice serves to make them less resilient and
less vigilant about preventing such outcomes in the future.

In a diverse state like New York, it is critical that we ensure that
students have access to a broad range of materials available to them to
let them pursue a love of learning and reading that can transport them
to the distant past, to imagined futures, or into the far reaches of our
galaxy. By ensuring that students have access to many perspectives, they
have the option to enrich their minds and broaden their perspectives.
Whether they embrace or reject those perspectives, the opportunity to
explore challenging ideas is valuable to students' development as lear-
ners, as community members, and as citizens.

Democratic self-government depends on a free exchange of ideas and
information, and our schools must continue to ensure that ideas and
information arc available for students to embrace or reject in line with
their values and those they learn from their families and communities.
This bill helps to protect the freedom to read by ensuring that school
boards will continue to provide the broadest range of access to age-ap-
propriate materials in school libraries and adding a guarantee of access
to diverse reading materials.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6350--B
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. MAY, CHU, COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to  the  Committee  on  Libraries  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "freedom
   to read act"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "freedom to
 read act".
   § 2. Section 276 of education law is amended to read as follows:
   § 276. Existing  rules continued in force.  All existing provisions of
 law and rules established by  the  commissioner  of  education  for  the
 management  of public school libraries shall hold good as to the manage-
 ment of such school libraries until altered by or in pursuance  of  law.
 SUCH  LAWS AND RULES ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONER SHALL INCLUDE POLI-
 CIES TO ENSURE THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY  STAFF,  INCLUDING  BUT
 NOT  LIMITED  TO  CERTIFIED  LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS, ARE EMPOWERED TO
 CURATE AND DEVELOP COLLECTIONS THAT PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO  THE
 WIDEST  ARRAY  OF  DEVELOPMENTALLY  APPROPRIATE  MATERIALS  AVAILABLE TO
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
   § 3. Section 283 of the education law, as added by chapter 348 of  the
 laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
   § 283. Functions  of  school library systems.  The functions of school
 library systems shall include but not be limited to:  (a)  creating  and
 developing  a  union  catalog of materials listing the resources of each
 participating school library; (b) developing a plan which will aid  each
 participating  school library in cooperative collection development; (c)
 adopting and implementing an interlibrary loan policy and program  among
 participating  school  libraries;  (d)  assuring  a  method of effective
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07840-07-3

 S. 6350--B                          2
 
 delivery of library materials within the system; (e) promoting  develop-
 ment  programs  and  continuing  education  for  staff  of participating
 schools; (f) encouraging awareness of the resources and services  avail-
 able in participating school libraries; [and] (g) cooperating with other
 library  systems  in  resource  sharing and other activities[.]; AND (H)
 ENSURING THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND  LIBRARY  STAFF,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO CERTIFIED LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS, ARE EMPOWERED TO CURATE
 AND DEVELOP COLLECTIONS THAT PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO THE  WIDEST
 ARRAY  OF DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPAT-
 ING SCHOOLS.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S6350

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

May 30, 2024 - Floor Vote

Floor Vote: May 30, 2024

Jun 6, 2023 - Floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 6, 2023

Jun 6, 2023 - Rules Committee Vote

Rules Committee Vote: Jun 6, 2023

May 22, 2024 - Libraries Committee Vote

Libraries Committee Vote: May 22, 2024

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2023-S6350 - Details

2023-S6350 - Summary

2023-S6350 - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6350 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2023-S6350A - Details

2023-S6350A - Summary

2023-S6350A - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6350A - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6350

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2023-S6350 - Details

2023-S6350 - Summary

2023-S6350 - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6350 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2023-S6350A - Details

2023-S6350A - Summary

2023-S6350A - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6350A - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6350B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments