Amd §168-a, add §294-b, Exec L; add §2586-b, amd §§3635 & 2590-h, Ed L
Establishes October 7th as October 7th remembrance day to honor the victims of the October 7, 2023 attacks; declares October seventh as a holiday for students in the public schools of the city of New York; requires the chancellor of the New York city school district to provide instruction of awareness of the October seventh remembrance day to students and professional development training to teachers; requires the division of human rights to establish a statewide campaign for antisemistism prevention; makes related provisions.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6557
SPONSOR: Brown E TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing "October
7th remembrance day" and a statewide campaign for antisemitism
prevention; and to amend the education law, in relation to requiring
instruction in New York city public schools on the events of October 7,
2023, and the Holocaust
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be kncwn and may be cited as
the "October 7th remembrance and education act of 2025".
§ 2, Legislative findings and declarations. It is customary for the
legislature to recognize significant events that have deeply affected
the citizens of. New York state and to establish official days of remem-
brance to increase awareness and hono- the victims of much events. From
1933 to 1945, six million Jews, along with millions of others, fell
victim to the systematic genocid cerpetrated by the Nazi regime, an
atrocity that became known as the Holocaust. The Holocaust remains one
of the most horrific and tragic chapters in human history, and its
lessons must be remembered and taught to future genera-:ions to ensure
that such hate and violence is never repeated.
October 7th, 2023, marked a dark and murderous day for the Jewish
people, as violent acts of hatred, culminating in the brutal massacre of
innocent civilians, devastated the Jewjsh community on one of their most
joyous days, the last day of Sukkot, known in Hebrew as Simchat Torah.
The events of October 7th, 2023, remind us of the continuing threat of
antisemitism and the need for collective action against hate, bigotry,
and violence in all its forms.
In response to the tragic and appalling violence against the Jewish
community in New York city, it is imperative that we honor the victims
and survivors of the October 7th, 2023, attacks, and that we ensure
future generations understand the importance of fighting antisemitism,
intolerance, and hate wherever they are found.
The tragic loss of life and the resulting trauma felt by the Jewish
community in New York city, and throughout the world, serves as a stark
reminder of the dangers of hatred and the necessity of education to .
combat prejudice and violence.
§ 3. Subdivision 3 of section 168-a of the executive law, as amended
by chapter 542 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows: 3.
The following days shall be days of commemoration in .each year: Janu-
ary sixth, to be known as "Haym Sal.omon Day", January twenty-seventh,
to be known as "Holocaust Remembrance Day", February fourth, to be known
as "Rosa Parks Day", February fifteenth, to be known as "Susan B.
Anthony Day", February sixteenth, to be known as "Lithuanian Independ-
ence Day", February twenty-eighth, to be known as "Gulf War Veterans'
Day", March fourth, to be known as "Pulaski Day", March eighth, to be
known as "International Women's Day", March tenth, to be known as
"Harriet Tubman Day", March twenty-ninth, to be known as "Vietnam Veter-
ans' Day", April ninth, to be known as "POW Recognition Day", April
twenty-seventh, to be known as "Coretta Scott King Day", April twenty-
eighth, to be known as "Workers' Memorial Day", the first Tuesday in May
to be known as "New York State Teacher Day", May seventeenth, to be
known as "Thurgood Marshall Day", the first Sunday in June, to be known
as "Children's Day", June second, to be known as "Italian Independence
Day", June twelfth, to be known as "Women Veterans Recognition Day",
June nineteenth, to be known as "Juneteenth Freedom Day", June twenty-
fifth, to be known as "Korean War Veterans' Day", the second Monday in
July, to be known as "Abolition Commemoration Day", August twenty-
fourth, to be known as "Ukrainian Independence Day", August twenty-
sixth, to be known as "Women's Equality Day", September eleventh, to be
known as "Battle of Plattsburgh Day" and also to be known as "September
11th Remembrance Day", September thirteenth, to be known as "John Barry
Day" and also to be known as "Uncle Sam Day in the State of New York",
September seventeenth, to be known as "Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
Memorial Day", the third Friday in September to be known a s "New York
State POW/MIA Recognition Day" except if such date of commemoration
cannot be observed due to a religious holiday, such observances shall
then be conducted on the second Friday of September, the last Saturday
in September, to be known as "War of 1812 Day", the fourth Saturday of
September, known as "Native-American Day", the last Sunday in September,
to be known as "Gold Star Mothers' Day", October fifth, to be known as
"Raoul Wallenberg Day", October_seventh,_to_be_known as2October_Seventh
Remembrance Day", October eleventh, to be known as New Netherland Day in
the State of New York", October eighteenth, to be known as "Disabilities
History Day", October twenty-seventh, to be known as "Theodore Roosevelt
Day", November ninth, to be known as "Witness for Tolerance Day", Novem-
ber twelfth, to be known as "Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day", the third
Tuesday in November to be known as "New York State School-Related
Professionals Recognition Day", November twenty-sixth, to be known as
"Sojourner Truth Day", November thirtieth, to be known as "Shirley
Chisholm Day", December third, to be known as "International Day of
Persons with Disabilities", December seventh, to be known as "Pearl
Harbor Day", December sixteenth, to be known
as "Bastogne Day" and that day of the Asian lunar calendar designated
as new year to be known as "Asian New Year".
§ 4. The education law is amended by adding a new section 2586-b to
read as follows:
§ _2586-b. October seventh remembrance day as a holiday for students
in The public schools of the city of New York. The seventh day of Octo-
ber in each year, known as October seventh remembrance day, is hereby
made and declared to be a holiday for students in all the public schools
in the city school district in the city of New York and students shall
not be required to attend the public schools on such day. If such day
falls on a Sunday, students shall not be required to attend public
schools on the Monday thereafter.
§ 5. Subdivision 2-a of section 3635 of the education law, as sepa-
rately amended by chapters 359 and 629 of the laws of 2023, is amended
to read as follows:
2-a. The superintendent of each city school district, in a city having a
population in excess of one million, shall prepare a public school
calendar and shall notify officials of nonpublic schools to which trans-
portation has been requested not later than the first day of June in
each year, of the days on which the public schools will be in session in
the following school year. Such school district which provides transpor-
tation to nonpublic schools shall provide such transportation for the
same number of days as the public schools are open but shall not provide
transportation services for more than one hundred eighty days. Officials
of each nonpublic school to which transportation is provided by a city
school district of a city having a population in excess of one million
may notify such district, not later than the first day of July of each
school year, of a maximum of five days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays
or legal holidays upon which public schools are required to be closed,
on which the public schools are scheduled to be closed, except that in
any year in which the first or last day of Passover and Easter Sunday
are separated by more than seven days, such officials may notify the
district of a maximum of ten days, but such school district will be
required to provide for transportation to such nonpublic school provided
that such five or ten additional days, whichever
is applicable, are limited to the following: the Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday after Labor Day, October seventh, known as October
seventh remembrance day, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the week in which
public schools are closed for spring recess, December twenty-fourth and
the week between Christmas day and New Year's day, the Tuesday, Wednes-
day, Thursday and Friday after the observance of Washington's birthday,
the first day of the second lunar month after the winter solstice in the
preceding calendar year, known as Asian Lunar New Year, the fifteenth
day of the eighth month of the Indian calendar in each year, known as
Diwali, and, in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens only, Anniversary
Day as designated in section twenty-five hundred eighty-six of this
chapter.
§ 6. Section 2590-h of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 57 to read as follows:
57. (a) Ensure that all students in the city district and the charter
Schools in the city of New York authorized by article fifty-six of this
title providing instruction in accordance with section thirty-two
hundred four of this chapter, as part of the instruction in awareness of
October seventh remembrance day pursuant to section twenty-five hundred
eighty-six-b of this article.
(b) Commencing in the two thousand twenty-five-two thousand twenty-Six
academic year, the chancellor shall require all public schools and char-
ter schools within the five boroughs of New York city to incorporate
lessons on October seventh, two thousand twenty-three, also known as the
October seventh massacre, as part of their Holocaust and genocide educa-
tion curriculum. Such lessons shall be age-appropriate and tailored to
the grade level.
(c) Such lessons shall include the historical context of the October
seventh, two thousand twenty-three attacks and their significance in the
ongoing struggle against antisemitism and other forms of hate.
(i)The curriculum shall also address the broader history of the Holo-
caust, including the systematic persecution and murder of Jews and other
marginalized groups by the Nazi regime, as well as the impact of those
events on future generations.
(ii) Students will learn about the importance of tolerance, diversity,
And the consequences of unchecked hatred.
(d) (i) The city district, in collaboration with Holocaust education
organizations, shall provide ongoing professional development and train-
ing for teachers to ensure they are equipped to teach these sensitive
subjects with accuracy, empathy, and respect.
(ii) In addition to classroom instruction, schools shall be encouraged
To host annual events on October seventh remembrance day, including
guest speakers, survivor testimonies, and other educational activities
to honor the victims of the October seventh attacks and the Holocaust.
§ 7. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 294-b to
read as follows:
§ 294-b. Statewide campaign for antisemitism prevention. 1. The divi-
sion shall develop and implement a statewide campaign to combat antise-
mitism and other forms of discrimination by implementing public aware-
ness campaigns, providing resources for reporting hate crimes and
incidents of discrimination, and promoting interfaith dialogue, healing,
and education.
2. In order to effectuate the purpose of the campaign the division
shall:
a. coordinate and cooperate with public and private organizations,
including, but not limited to, community groups, school districts, syna-
gogues, charitable organizations, foundations and other relevant groups;
b. develop educational materials to be published on the website of the
division, social media campaigns or other means determined to be the
most effective at reaching the public in.a cost effective manner;
c. make information regarding such campaign available on the website
of the division; and
d. utilize other resources the division deems appropriate and any
other resources, private or public, identified by the division.
§ 8. If any provision of this act or the application thereof to any
person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect
other provisions or applications of this act that can be given effect
without the invalid provision or application, and to this end, the
provisions of this act are declared to be severable.
§ 9. Effective Date
JUSTIFICATION:
The atrocities of October 7, 2023, marked a horrific day of violence and
loss for the Jewish community in New York City. This bill seeks to honor
the victims of this tragedy and ensure that future generations under-
stand the importance of preventing antisemitism and hate. By establish-
ing October 7 Remembrance Day and mandating the inclusion of these
events in the public school curriculum, we aim to raise awareness,
foster understanding, and contribute to a future free from hatred and
violence. We must ensure that these lessons are not lost to time and
that we actively work to prevent future atrocities.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
§ 9. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
the amendments to section 2590-h of the education law made by section
six of this act shall not affect the expiration and reversion of such
section and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith.
