STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8971
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
August 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DURSO -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a commit-
tee to conduct a survey of instruction on Italian American heritage
and issue a report on such survey; and providing for the repeal of
such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known as the "New York Italian American
2 Heritage Education Equity Act".
3 § 2. (a) The commissioner of education is authorized and directed to
4 conduct a survey regarding instruction on Italian American heritage
5 within the state. Such survey shall focus on identifying the extent to
6 which school districts provide instruction on Italian American heritage.
7 Such survey shall include as appropriate, questions on how the district
8 is providing such instruction, including, but not limited to, the
9 following:
10 (1) how the department's learning standards inform the school
11 district's teaching of Italian American heritage history;
12 (2) which grade levels are being taught about Italian American herit-
13 age history;
14 (3) how much instructional time is devoted to Italian American herit-
15 age history;
16 (4) what are the school district's social studies curricula that are
17 used in the district, and who publishes curricula;
18 (5) what challenges and/or barriers do districts face in incorporating
19 Italian American heritage history into the curriculum;
20 (6) do educators receive any training or professional development
21 regarding Italian American heritage history; and
22 (7) are there assessments or evaluations to measure student under-
23 standing of Italian American heritage history.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13581-01-5
A. 8971 2
1 (b) Findings shall include detailed results of the survey, and if
2 needed, recommendations to implement or strengthen such instruction. A
3 report of the findings of such survey shall be delivered to the gover-
4 nor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly,
5 the minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the assem-
6 bly the first of January following the effective date of this act or one
7 hundred twenty days after the effective date of this act, whichever is
8 later.
9 § 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 805 to read
10 as follows:
11 § 805. Italian American heritage history advisory committee; appoint-
12 ment; powers and duties. 1. The commissioner shall establish an Italian
13 American heritage advisory committee.
14 2. (a) The committee shall be comprised of four members, to be
15 appointed as follows:
16 i. one member appointed by the governor;
17 ii. one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
18 iii. one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly; and
19 iv. one member appointed by the commissioner.
20 (b) All members appointed to the committee shall be experts in Italian
21 American heritage and/or have a background in educational instruction
22 and/or educational administration.
23 (c) All members of the committee shall be appointed within ninety days
24 of the effective date of this section.
25 3. Vacancies in the membership of the committee shall be filled in the
26 same manner provided for original appointments.
27 4. The committee shall meet no less than four times per year.
28 5. The committee shall provide recommendations on the following:
29 (a) high-quality K-12 curricular and instructional resources on Itali-
30 an American heritage history; and
31 (b) strategies for strengthening and deepening public K-12 education
32 programs in the areas of Italian American heritage history, including
33 analysis of the survey referenced in section two of the chapter of the
34 laws of two thousand twenty-five that added this section.
35 6. The committee shall submit their recommendations to the commission-
36 er no later than two years after the effective date of this section and
37 be disbanded thereafter.
38 7. Committee members shall receive no compensation for their services,
39 but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the
40 performance of their duties.
41 8. To effectuate the purposes of this section, the committee may
42 request from any department, board, bureau, commission or other agency
43 of the state, and the same are authorized to provide, such cooperation
44 and assistance, services and data as will enable the committee to prop-
45 erly carry out its functions pursuant to this section.
46 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
47 deemed repealed 3 years after such date.
