STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2389
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 17, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. FELDER -- 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 including the attacks
on September 11, 2001 in courses of instruction in patriotism and
citizenship
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 and subdivision 3 of
2 section 801 of the education law, as amended by section 27 of part A of
3 chapter 56 of the laws of 2020, are amended to read as follows:
4 In order to promote a spirit of patriotic and civic service and obli-
5 gation and to foster in the children of the state moral and intellectual
6 qualities which are essential in preparing to meet the obligations of
7 citizenship in peace or in war, the regents of The University of the
8 State of New York shall prescribe courses of instruction in patriotism,
9 citizenship, civic education and values, our shared history of diversi-
10 ty, the role of religious tolerance in this country, and human rights
11 issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of
12 genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground rail-
13 road), the Holocaust, [and] the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to
14 1850, and the attacks on September 11, 2001, to be maintained and
15 followed in all the schools of the state. The boards of education and
16 trustees of the several cities and school districts of the state shall
17 require instruction to be given in such courses, by the teachers
18 employed in the schools therein. All pupils attending such schools, over
19 the age of eight years, shall attend upon such instruction.
20 3. The regents shall determine the subjects to be included in such
21 courses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, civic education and
22 values, our shared history of diversity, the role of history of diversi-
23 ty, the role of religious tolerance in this country, and human rights
24 issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05533-01-5
S. 2389 2
1 genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground rail-
2 road), the Holocaust, [and] the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to
3 1850, and the attacks on September 11, 2001, and in the history, mean-
4 ing, significance and effect of the provisions of the constitution of
5 the United States, the amendments thereto, the declaration of independ-
6 ence, the constitution of the state of New York and the amendments ther-
7 eto, and the period of instruction in each of the grades in such
8 subjects. They shall adopt rules providing for attendance upon such
9 instruction and for such other matters as are required for carrying into
10 effect the objects and purposes of this section. The commissioner shall
11 be responsible for the enforcement of such section and shall cause to be
12 inspected and supervise the instruction to be given in such subjects.
13 The commissioner may, in [his] such commissioner's discretion, cause all
14 or a portion of the public school money to be apportioned to a district
15 or city to be withheld for failure of the school authorities of such
16 district or city to provide instruction in such courses and to compel
17 attendance upon such instruction, as herein prescribed, and for a non-
18 compliance with the rules of the regents adopted as herein provided.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
