S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4638
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  LEE  --  Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.  of  A.
   BICHOTTE HERMELYN,   BRAUNSTEIN,   BURDICK,   COLTON,   DE LOS SANTOS,
   EPSTEIN,  GLICK,  GONZALEZ-ROJAS,  HEVESI,  KIM,  MAMDANI,  McDONOUGH,
   PAULIN, RAGA, RAJKUMAR, RAMOS, REYES, ROZIC, SHIMSKY, SHRESTHA, SIMON,
   TAGUE, ZACCARO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education

 AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  requiring  public
   elementary  schools  and  high schools to provide instruction in Asian
   American history and civic impact
 
   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 801-b
 to read as follows:
   § 801-B.  ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HISTO-
 RY AND CIVIC IMPACT CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION. 1. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
 ESTABLISH  ASIAN AMERICAN,  NATIVE   HAWAIIAN,   AND   PACIFIC  ISLANDER
 HISTORY  AND CIVIC IMPACT CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE  DEPARTMENT'S  EXISTING  LEARNING  STANDARDS  FOR
 SOCIAL  STUDIES.  THE  CONTENTS  SHALL  BE  AGE APPROPRIATE AND SHALL BE
 DEVELOPED ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS AND ABILITIES OF STUDENTS AT SUCCESSIVE
 GRADE LEVELS TO PROVIDE ROBUST ASIAN AMERICAN,  NATIVE   HAWAIIAN,   AND
 PACIFIC  ISLANDER  HISTORY  AND  CIVIC IMPACT CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION,
 ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERTS,  AND
 SHALL  BE  DISSEMENATED  TO  SCHOOLS  AND  DISTRICTS. THE CONTENTS SHALL
 INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO, CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION  IN  THE
 FOLLOWING:
   A.  THE  HISTORY OF DIASPORA OF ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS, AND
 PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN NEW YORK AND THE NORTHEAST;
   B. THE MOVEMENTS AND POLICIES THAT IMPACTED THE ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE
 HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES;
   C. THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN,  AND
 PACIFIC  ISLANDER  COMMUNITIES  IN  GOVERNMENT,  THE  ARTS,  HUMANITIES,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01669-04-5
              

 A. 4638                             2
 
 SCIENCE AND THE ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT  OF
 THE UNITED STATES;
   D.  THE  STRUCTURES  AND HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT HAVE LIMITED OR HARMED
 THE ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER AND OTHER  HISTOR-
 ICALLY  MARGINALIZED  COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CIVIL
 RIGHTS MOVEMENT; AND
   E. THE SOLIDARITY BETWEEN ASIAN  AMERICAN,  NATIVE  HAWAIIAN,  PACIFIC
 ISLANDER  AND  OTHER HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY AS
 IT PERTAINS TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
   2.  SCHOOLS MAY INCLUDE THE ABOVE MATERIALS AS   COMPONENTS    OF  ITS
 HISTORY  OR SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM, OR ANY OTHER WAY THE SCHOOL DEEMS
 APPROPRIATE.
   3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP  PROFESSIONAL  DEVELOPMENT  TRAINING
 MATERIALS  INSTRUCTING  TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ON CURRICULAR
 IMPLEMENTATION AND SHALL ANNUALLY UPDATE SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING
 IMPLEMENTATION.
   4. WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, AND ANNUALLY
 THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DELIVER A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE
 LEGISLATURE, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SENATE  MINORITY
 LEADER,  THE  SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER, AND
 BOTH THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES ON EDUCATION,  AND  SHALL  SHARE
 THE  REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE, OUTLINING THE CAPACITY OF VARI-
 OUS SCHOOL DISTRICTS  TO  IMPLEMENT  THE  CURRICULUM  REQUIRED  BY  THIS
 SECTION  AND  THE  MOST  PRESSING  NEEDS  OF  SCHOOL DISTRICTS REGARDING
 RESOURCES AND SUPPORT IN CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION.  THE REPORT SHALL BE
 INFORMED BY AN ANNUAL, PUBLIC SOLICITIATION OF FEEDBACK FROM SCHOOLS AND
 DISTRICTS REGARDING THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING THE
 CURRICULUM IN EXISTING SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES, AS WELL AS STUDENT LEARN-
 ING OUTCOMES.  THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   A. THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT IMPLEMENTED THE CURRICULUM  PURSUANT  TO
 THIS  SECTION  AND  WHETHER  THOSE  SCHOOLS SERVE STUDENT POPULATIONS IN
 URBAN, SUBURBAN OR RURAL AREAS;
   B. THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO ENGAGED WITH  PROFES-
 SIONAL  DEVELOPMENT  RESOURCES  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  THREE OF THIS
 SECTION;
   C. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE  STUDENTS  IN
 THE STATE WHO ENGAGED WITH THE CURRICULUM;
   D.  AND ANY OTHER EFFORTS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO IMPLEMENT THE CURRIC-
 ULUM REQUIRED BY  THIS  SECTION  OR  RECOMMENDATIONS  TO  ASSIST  SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS REGARDING RESOURCES AND SUPPORT IN  CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.