NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5752
SPONSOR: Solages TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to making certain
provisions applicable to public schools relating to instruction in
civility, citizenship and character education
PURPOSE:
To amend the Education Law section 801-a, relating to instruction in
civility, citizenship and character, to explicitly state that the amend-
ments made to that section by chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, apply
only to public schools.
SUMMARY:
Section 1. Amends section 801-a of the education law, as amended by
chapter 102 of the laws of 2012.
Section 2. Sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The primary content of chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, known as the
Dignity for All Students Act ("Dignity"), is set out in Article 2 of the
Education Law. The Dignity Act applies only to public schools, as seen
in Education Law section 10, section 11(1), and section 17(1), which
explicitly exempts private, religious, and denominational institutions.
Chapter 102 also changed two other sections of the Education Law, one of
which was Education Law section 801-a. It was always the Legislature's
intent that the language added to section 301-a by Dignity would apply
to the same schools as Article 2, meaning public schools and not private
and religious schools. Language making that intent explicit was inad-
vertently omitted from the bill text. This technical chapter amendment
corrects the accidental omission.
RACIAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
TBD.
GENDER JUSTICE IMPACT:
TBD.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A3723; referred to education
2019-20: A2457; referred to education
2017-18: A3970; referred to education
2015-16: A1225; referred to education
2013-14: A8019; referred to education
2011-12: A8310; passed assembly
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD,
EFFECTIVE DAIE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
