BILL NUMBER: S9590

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring certain
public schools in any city with a population over one million to offer
Halal food options during lunch

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

According to reporting by the New York Times, about 95 percent of Muslim
children in the City of New York attend public schools. Due to the over-
whelming majority of Muslim families choosing New York City public
schools to educate their children, this bill will provide accommodation
to those students in respect of their dietary restrictions known as
Halal. The halal diet consists of specific slaughtering and preparation
processes that must be followed precisely in order to remain permissible
for practicing Muslims to consume. This bill will provide Halal lunch
options to the large number of Muslim students attending public school
in the City of New York.

 
              

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends the Education Law by adding a new section
915-a. This new section requires each of the New York City public
schools to provide Halal options at lunch.

Section two of the bill provides that this act shall take effect on the
one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.  Effective
immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regu-
lations necessary for the Implementation of this act on its effective
date is authorized to be made on or before such date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The City of New York is the only city in The State of New York that has
a population of over one million people. According to the Department of
Education, the City provides public education to about 1,135,334
students across its five boroughs. Within the City there are an esti-
mated 600,000 to 1,000,000 Muslim residents. According to a study
published by Columbia University, approximately ten percent of the New
York City public school children are Muslim. So, more than 100,000
public school students in the City of New York are subject to a finan-
cial burden that other students are not liable for.  Our Muslim students
and their nutritional requirements should not be ignored any longer. In
order to truly fulfill the Mayor's Free Lunch for All program, legisla-
tive action must be taken to equitably distribute meal opportunities to
students of all faiths, especially those that are commonly observed in
the City of New York's public schools. This bill will finally relieve
the many families that rely on the State's largest public school system
to provide a reasonable educational experience in the critical years of
their children's' youth and education. This bill advocates for a fair
lunch program provided to the students enrolled in the public school
system of the City of New York.

This bill also recognizes the changes required to public school policy,
as a result of an increasingly diverse New York City public school
system.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the implementa-
tion of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on or
before such date.