NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1094

Senate Bill S1094

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires certain public schools to offer Halal food options and Kosher food options during lunch

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2025	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2025-S1094 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §§915-a & 915-b, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S5195
2021-2022: S828
2023-2024: S6338

2025-S1094 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires schools that have a Muslim or Jewish population greater than or equal to ten percent of the student body to offer Halal food options and/or Kosher food options during lunch.

2025-S1094 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1094

SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring certain
public schools to offer Halal food options and Kosher food options
during lunch

 
PURPOSE:

This bill requires public schools to offer Halal and Kosher food options
to Muslim and Jewish student populations.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends the education law by a new Section 915-a, which
requires any school or school district where the board of education or
trustees determine that such school or school district has a Muslim
population greater than or equal to ten percent of the student body or
where Halal food options are otherwise requested by relevant individuals
or entities shall offer Halal food options during lunch.  The education

law is amended by also adding a new Section 915-b, which requires any
school or school district where the board of education or trustees
determine that such school or school district has a Jewish population
greater than or equal to two percent of the student body or where Kosher
food options are otherwise requested by relevant individuals or entities
shall offer Kosher food options during lunch.

Section 2. 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
implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be
made on or before such date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In a city with ethnic diversity such as New York City, the population of
residents and children under Islamic and Jewish faith is rising.  Over
the last 10-20 years, we have seen higher increases of both Muslim and
Jewish faiths in the suburbs and rural areas in New York State. Because
of their religious dietary requirements, these students, who are attend-
ing public schools in New York City, are restricted in what they can eat
during lunch at school. In certain cases, students have to throw out
non-halal and kosher lunches or often do not eat at all causing
disruption in the learning process. Offering students options of Halal
and Kosher food during lunch not only accommodates their dietary
restriction but also enhances students' awareness and respect for diver-
sity in cultures, religions, and ethnicities.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: S6338-A (Ramos) Referred to Education/ A10651 (Wallace)
Referred to Education

2021-22: S828 (Ramos) Referred to Education

2019-20: S5195 (Ramos) Referred to Education/ A3811 (Ortiz) Referred to
Education
2017-18: A.4750-A (Ortiz) Referred to Education

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

TBD

 
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.

2025-S1094 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1094
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  RAMOS,  ADDABBO, PARKER, RIVERA -- 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 requiring certain
   public schools to offer Halal food options  and  Kosher  food  options
   during lunch

   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  two  new  sections
 915-a and 915-b to read as follows:
   §  915-A.  HALAL FOOD OPTIONS. ANY SCHOOL OR SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE THE
 BOARD OF EDUCATION OR TRUSTEES DETERMINE  THAT  SUCH  SCHOOL  OR  SCHOOL
 DISTRICT HAS A MUSLIM POPULATION GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO TEN PERCENT OF
 THE  STUDENT BODY OR WHERE HALAL FOOD OPTIONS ARE OTHERWISE REQUESTED BY
 RELEVANT INDIVIDUALS OR ENTITIES SHALL OFFER HALAL FOOD  OPTIONS  DURING
 LUNCH.
   §  915-B. KOSHER FOOD OPTIONS. ANY SCHOOL OR SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE THE
 BOARD OF EDUCATION OR TRUSTEES DETERMINE  THAT  SUCH  SCHOOL  OR  SCHOOL
 DISTRICT HAS A JEWISH POPULATION GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO TWO PERCENT OF
 THE STUDENT BODY OR WHERE KOSHER FOOD OPTIONS ARE OTHERWISE REQUESTED BY
 RELEVANT  INDIVIDUALS OR ENTITIES SHALL OFFER KOSHER FOOD OPTIONS DURING
 LUNCH.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
 ment  and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the imple-
 mentation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on
 or before such date.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03228-01-5

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Senate Bill S1094

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Sponsored By

Jessica Ramos