Requires the regents to promulgate rules to allow and encourage the reading and posting in public schools excerpts of the writings and documents regarding American heritage.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2425
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 17, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- 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 courses of instruction
in patriotism and citizenship and in certain historic documents
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds and
2 declares that exposure of students to primary source documents giving
3 record of American history and heritage should be encouraged. It is
4 important that the integrity of such historical documents be maintained
5 to preclude intentional or unintentional censorship of the writings,
6 documents and records documenting American history and heritage.
7 § 2. Section 801 of the education law is amended by adding a new
8 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
9 6. The regents shall promulgate rules which shall permit the boards of
10 education and trustees of the several cities and school districts of the
11 state to allow and encourage any teacher or administrator in a public
12 school district of this state to read or post in a public school build-
13 ing, classroom, or event excerpts or portions of the preamble to the
14 state constitution of New York; the declaration of independence; the
15 constitution of the United States; the mayflower compact; the national
16 motto; the national anthem; the pledge of allegiance; the writings,
17 speeches, documents and proclamations of the founding fathers and presi-
18 dents of the United States; organic documents from the pre-colonial,
19 colonial, revolutionary, federalist, and post-federalist eras; United
20 States supreme court decisions; acts of the United States congress
21 including the published text of the congressional record; and any other
22 primary source or historic document. Such rules shall provide that there
23 be no content based censorship of American history or heritage in this
24 state with reference to these writings, documents, and records.
25 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of September next
26 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective imme-
27 diately, any rules necessary for the timely implementation of this act
28 on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05910-01-5
