Relates to establishing the commission on African American history and achievement to develop and recommend school curriculum that incorporates the contributions and achievements made by African Americans.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7168
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 3, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- 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 establishing the
commission on African American history and achievement
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 819 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 819. African American history and achievement. 1. The commission on
4 African American history and achievement; established. (a) The commis-
5 sion on African American history and achievement, referred to in this
6 section as the commission, is hereby created and established. The
7 commission shall consist of thirteen members, including the commission-
8 er, or their designee, the chancellor of New York city schools, or their
9 designee, the chancellor of the state university of New York, or their
10 designee, and the chancellor of the board of regents, or their designee,
11 three members appointed by the governor, three members appointed by the
12 temporary president of the senate, and three members appointed by the
13 speaker of the assembly. Appointed members shall include but not be
14 limited to teachers, including kindergarten through twelve educators,
15 historians, and those with a background in African American history,
16 arts, or culture.
17 (b) Each member shall serve for a term of three years and shall be
18 eligible for reappointment. A vacancy occurring other than by expiration
19 of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment
20 for the unexpired term.
21 (c) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but
22 shall be entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred
23 in the performance of their duties.
24 (d) The commissioner, or their designee, shall serve as the chair and
25 the chancellor of New York city schools, or their designee, shall serve
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01959-01-5
S. 7168 2
1 as the vice-chair of the commission. The presence of a majority of the
2 authorized membership of the commission shall be required for the
3 conduct of official business.
4 (e) The department shall provide technical assistance and data to the
5 commission as may be necessary for the commission to carry out its
6 responsibilities pursuant to this section.
7 2. Duties and responsibilities of the commission. (a) The commission
8 shall be tasked with developing and recommending curriculum that incor-
9 porates the contributions and achievements made by African Americans as
10 part of New York's education curriculum, including but not limited to
11 the women's abolitionist movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Buffalo
12 anti-slavery movement, and the suffrage movement for African American
13 Long Islanders. In furtherance of this goal, the commission shall have
14 the following duties and responsibilities:
15 (i) To survey and review current elementary and secondary education
16 curriculum as it relates to contributions and achievements of African
17 Americans throughout American and state history;
18 (ii) To develop recommendations on additional curriculum and instruc-
19 tion for grades kindergarten through twelve that incorporate the
20 contributions and achievements made by African Americans throughout
21 American and New York state history; and
22 (iii) Prepare reports for the governor and legislature regarding its
23 findings and recommendations on current curriculum and incorporating
24 additional instruction on the contributions and achievements made by
25 African Americans throughout American and New York state history.
26 (b) The commission shall submit an annual report, beginning August
27 first, two thousand twenty-six, to the governor, the commissioner, the
28 temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the
29 chair of the senate education committee, and the chair of the assembly
30 education committee on its findings and recommendations.
31 3. African American history and achievement curriculum or instruction.
32 (a) The commissioner, in conjunction with other appropriate agencies,
33 shall establish African American history and achievement curriculum or
34 instruction for school districts based on the recommendations of the
35 commission. The content shall be age appropriate and shall be developed
36 according to the needs and abilities of pupils at successive grade
37 levels in order to provide materials, and information in African Ameri-
38 can history and achievement. The commissioner shall annually review the
39 commission's recommendations and make updates to curriculum as appropri-
40 ate.
41 (b) Schools may include the above materials as a component of its
42 history curriculum or any other way the school deems appropriate.
43 § 2. Section 2590-h of the education law is amended by adding a new
44 subdivision 57 to read as follows:
45 57. Ensure that all students in the city district, the charter schools
46 in the city of New York authorized by article fifty-six of this title,
47 and the nonpublic schools in the city of New York providing instruction
48 in accordance with section thirty-two hundred four of this chapter, as
49 part of the instruction in awareness of African American history since
50 the year sixteen hundred nineteen pursuant to section eight hundred
51 nineteen of this chapter, shall visit sites which educate about these
52 historical events.
53 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, that
54 the amendments to section 2590-h of the education law made by section
55 two of this act shall not affect the expiration and reversion of such
56 section and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith.
