NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6318

Senate Bill S6318

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires instruction in arts and music education to be incorporated into curriculums for all public school students

download bill text pdf

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
Mar 10, 2025	referred to education

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2025-S6318 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §819, Ed L

2025-S6318 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires instruction in arts and music education to be incorporated into curriculums for all public school students; requires school districts to ensure that appropriately certified teachers are providing such education; authorizes rules and regulations consistent with such provisions.

2025-S6318 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6318

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction
in arts and music education to be incorporated into curriculums for all
public school students

 
PURPOSE:

Ensure arts and music education are incorporated into the public school
curriculum for all students.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: adds a new section 819 to the Education Law to require the
board of regents to establish and maintain standards to ensure access to
arts and music education for K-12 students in the state.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

While New York State Education Department regulations dictate arts and
music education, it is not a statutory requirement. As a result, during
times of fiscal difficulties, school districts may look to reduce arts
and music classes in order to achieve budgetary savings regardless of
the importance of these courses for child development.

There have been numerous research studies similar to one released in
2012 by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) entitled The Arts and
Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies
that document measured academic success and future civic engagement of
students, particularly those who are at-risk, when they actively partic-
ipate in arts programming. Along with these types of successes, this
study documented that at-risk students with an "in-depth arts involve-
ment" had higher career aspirations and were more likely to pursue high-
er education. Along with student engagement, music and arts programming
offered in schools improves participation and aids in the development of
critical thinking and creative problem solving.

For many years, the national educational focus has been on
"STEM"-Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Educational advocates
are now realizing the importance of adding Arts to the discussion. STEAM
education provides a more holistic approach that reflects the need for
students to develop both creative and analytical skills.

This legislation recognizes the importance of arts and music programs in
public schools and will ensure that all of New York's school-aged chil-
dren have equal access to these critical learning opportunities.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024 - S.285 (May) / A.1502 (Jean-Pierre)

2021-2022 - S.4525 (May) / A.1788 (Jean-Pierre)

2019-2020 - S.5770 (Metzger) / A.9660 (Jean-Pierre)

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S6318 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6318
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced    by   Sens.   MAY,   ADDABBO,   ASHBY,   BORRELLO,   BROUK,
   CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, CLEARE,  COMRIE,  COONEY,  GALLIVAN,  HARCKHAM,
   HELMING, HINCHEY, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, LANZA, MATTERA, MYRIE, OBER-
   ACKER, PALUMBO, PERSAUD, ROLISON, SALAZAR, SCARCELLA-SPANTON, SERRANO,
   SKOUFIS,  STAVISKY, STEC, WEBER, WEIK -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring  instruction
   in  arts  and  music education to be incorporated into curriculums for
   all public school students
 
   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 819 to
 read as follows:
   §  819.  INSTRUCTION  IN  ARTS  AND MUSIC EDUCATION.   1. THE BOARD OF
 REGENTS SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN STANDARDS FOR ARTS AND MUSIC EDUCA-
 TION, WHICH MAY INCLUDE DANCE, MUSIC, THEATER, MEDIA ARTS, VISUAL  ARTS,
 AND  STUDIO ARTS, TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE CURRICULUM FOR STUDENTS AT
 ALL GRADE LEVELS IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE. RULES AND REGU-
 LATIONS RELATED TO ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY  EDUCATION  SCHOOL  PROGRAMS
 SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   2.  EACH  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  SHALL  ENSURE THAT INSTRUCTION IN ARTS AND
 MUSIC EDUCATION,  CONSISTENT  WITH  THE  STANDARDS  ESTABLISHED  BY  THE
 REGENTS  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF THIS SECTION, IS PROVIDED BY
 APPROPRIATELY CERTIFIED TEACHERS, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, IN  EACH  SUCH
 SCHOOL  DISTRICT.    ALL  STUDENTS  SHALL  HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SUCH
 INSTRUCTION, WHICH SHALL BE INCORPORATED  INTO  THE  REGULAR  COURSE  OF
 STUDY AND CONSISTENT WITH STATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
   3.  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF EDUCATION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE BOARD OF
 REGENTS, SHALL PROMULGATE ANY RULES OR REGULATIONS NECESSARY  TO  IMPLE-
 MENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, ENSURING THAT ARTS AND MUSIC EDUCA-
 TION  REMAINS AN INTEGRAL AND REQUIRED PART OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRIC-
 ULUM FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES ONE THROUGH TWELVE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10206-01-5

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