S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5448--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. ROZIC, LASHER, STERN, E. BROWN, NORBER, LEVEN-
   BERG, McDONALD, GLICK, HEVESI, EPSTEIN, BRAUNSTEIN, NOVAKHOV,  BERGER,
   BORES,  COLTON,  LUNSFORD,  CLARK, ZACCARO, PAULIN, McDONOUGH, LAVINE,
   WIEDER, GRIFFIN,  DINOWITZ,  EICHENSTEIN,  BENDETT,  McMAHON,  SLATER,
   WRIGHT,  SEPTIMO  -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher
   Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
   amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the appoint-
   ment  of a Title VI coordinator at every college and university in the
   state
 
   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 6436-a
 to read as follows:
   § 6436-A. DESIGNATION OF A TITLE VI COORDINATOR AND DUTIES. 1. PURPOSE
 AND  DESIGNATION  OF  COORDINATOR.  (A) TO ENSURE STUDENTS ARE PROTECTED
 FROM  ILLEGAL  DISCRIMINATION  BASED  ON  CHARACTERISTICS,  AS   FURTHER
 DESCRIBED IN APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, INSTITUTIONS SHALL ENGAGE
 IN  PROPER  COORDINATION  OF THESE EFFORTS THROUGH A CENTRALIZED PROCESS
 AND WITH A CENTRALIZED POINT OF CONTACT FOR ALL COMPLIANCE,  SIMILAR  TO
 THE  ROLE  OF THE TITLE IX COORDINATOR AND THEIR ROLE IN THE IMPLEMENTA-
 TION OF APPLICABLE FEDERAL LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND  STATE  LAW,
 INCLUDING ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE-B OF THIS TITLE.
   (B)  WITHIN  NINETY  DAYS  OF  THE  EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, AN
 INSTITUTION, DEFINED AS A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY CHARTERED BY THE REGENTS
 OR INCORPORATED BY SPECIAL ACT  OF  THE  LEGISLATURE  THAT  MAINTAINS  A
 CAMPUS  IN  NEW  YORK  STATE  SHALL  DESIGNATE A TITLE VI COORDINATOR TO
 ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE VI OF THE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964,
 CODIFIED AT 42 U.S.C. 2000D ET SEQ., 34 C.F.R. PART 100, AND  ANY  OTHER
 RELATED APPLICABLE LAWS, RULES OR REGULATIONS.
   2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR WHEN RECEIVING REPORTS
 OF  DISCRIMINATION OR HARASSMENT. IF THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR RECEIVES A
 REPORT, THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR SHALL:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02163-04-5
 A. 5448--A                          2
 
   (A) OFFER AND COORDINATE ANY SUPPORTIVE MEASURES FOR  THE  STUDENT  OR
 STUDENTS;
   (B) NOTIFY ANY STUDENTS WHO REPORT CONDUCT THAT MAY REASONABLY CONSTI-
 TUTE DISCRIMINATION OR HARASSMENT UNDER THIS SECTION AND TITLE VI OF THE
 FEDERAL  CIVIL  RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, OF THE INSTITUTION'S POLICIES AND/OR
 PROCEDURES; AND
   (C) ENSURE THERE IS A PROCESS FOR INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION OF  ANY
 COMPLAINTS.
   3. DEVELOPING TRAINING TO PROMOTE EQUAL ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION.  THE
 TITLE VI COORDINATOR SHALL ASSIST THE INSTITUTION IN DEVELOPING TRAINING
 FOR  STUDENTS  AND  EMPLOYEES  TO ENSURE INSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE, WHICH
 SHALL BE DELIVERED ANNUALLY COMMENCING WITH THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX-
 -TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN ACADEMIC YEAR, AND EACH ACADEMIC YEAR  THERE-
 AFTER.  SUCH TRAINING FOR STUDENTS SHALL BE PART OF ONBOARDING, AND SUCH
 TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES SHALL BE ADMINISTERED AT THE  BEGINNING  OF  EACH
 ACADEMIC  YEAR  FOR  NEW  AND RETURNING EMPLOYEES, AND IF AN EMPLOYEE IS
 HIRED DURING AN ACADEMIC YEAR, SUCH TRAINING SHALL BE ADMINISTERED WITH-
 IN SIXTY DAYS OF THE DATE OF THE START OF EMPLOYMENT.
   4. NOTIFICATION OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. THE TITLE  VI  COORDINATOR
 SHALL NOTIFY ALL STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES EACH ACADEMIC YEAR OF THE INSTI-
 TUTION'S  POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES  FOR  REPORTING  DISCRIMINATION  AND
 HARASSMENT.
   (A) FORM OF NOTIFICATION. THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR SHALL  ENSURE  THAT
 THE ANNUAL NOTIFICATION INCLUDES:
   (I) THE INSTITUTION'S NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY STATEMENT;
   (II)  WEBSITE  LINKS  TO  ALL  POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING
 DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT TO THE INSTITUTION;
   (III) THE CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR; AND
   (IV) ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR AND  THE  INSTITU-
 TION DEEM NECESSARY.
   5.  DESIGNEES.  THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR MAY HAVE A DESIGNEE OR DESIG-
 NEES TO ASSIST IN CARRYING OUT THE FUNCTIONS SET FORTH IN THIS  SECTION,
 AND  MAY  WORK WITH OTHER EMPLOYEES TO CARRY OUT THE FUNCTIONS SET FORTH
 IN THIS SECTION, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THE TITLE VI  COORDINATOR  SHALL  BE
 ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING AND OVERSEEING THE INSTITUTION'S
 COMPLIANCE    WITH  THIS  SECTION AND WITH TITLE VI OF THE FEDERAL CIVIL
 RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.
   6. TRAINING FOR TITLE VI COORDINATOR AND DESIGNEE  OR  DESIGNEES.  ALL
 TITLE  VI  COORDINATORS  AND  THEIR  DESIGNEES SHALL BE TRAINED IN THEIR
 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION AND  TITLE  VI  OF
 THE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.
   7.  RECORDKEEPING.  (A)  THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE
 FOR APPROPRIATE RECORDKEEPING RELATED TO ANY REPORTS AND  COMPLAINTS  OF
 DISCRIMINATION  AND  HARASSMENT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE AND
 FEDERAL LAW, INCLUDING ALL RECORDS RELATED TO  ASSESSMENTS  OF  REPORTS,
 RECORDS  DOCUMENTING  ACTIONS  THE  INSTITUTION  TOOK  TO MEET ITS OBLI-
 GATIONS, AND ANY RECORDS OF TRAINING ATTENDANCE AND MATERIALS.
   8. OTHER DUTIES. THE TITLE VI COORDINATOR MAY PERFORM  OTHER  RELEVANT
 DUTIES AS ESTABLISHED BY THE INSTITUTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.