STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1988
2011-2012 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2011
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SCHROEDER, WEISENBERG, KELLNER, ABBATE, TITONE,
CUSICK, MAGEE, BARRON, SPANO, MENG, ENGLEBRIGHT -- Multi-Sponsored by
-- M. of A. BRENNAN, BURLING, COOK, DUPREY, FINCH, GABRYSZAK, GIGLIO,
MAYERSOHN, PEOPLES-STOKES, PHEFFER, RAIA, SWEENEY, TOBACCO -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to instruction on the
history of people with disabilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 801 of the education law,
2 as amended by chapter 574 of the laws of 1997, are amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. In order to promote a spirit of patriotic and civic service and
5 obligation and to foster in the children of the state moral and intel-
6 lectual qualities which are essential in preparing to meet the obli-
7 gations of citizenship in peace or in war, the regents of The University
8 of the State of New York shall prescribe courses of instruction in
9 patriotism, citizenship, and human rights issues, with particular atten-
10 tion to the study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery (including the
11 freedom trail and underground railroad), the Holocaust, and the mass
12 starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, and the history of people with
13 disabilities, to be concentrated during, but not limited to the third
14 full week of October, to be maintained and followed in all the schools
15 of the state. The boards of education and trustees of the several cities
16 and school districts of the state shall require instruction to be given
17 in such courses, by the teachers employed in the schools therein. All
18 pupils attending such schools, over the age of eight years, shall attend
19 upon such instruction.
20 Similar courses of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in
21 private schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools over eight
22 years of age shall attend upon such courses. If such courses are not so
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01984-01-1
A. 1988 2
1 established and maintained in a private school, attendance upon instruc-
2 tion in such school shall not be deemed substantially equivalent to
3 instruction given to pupils of like age in the public schools of the
4 city or district in which such pupils reside.
5 3. The regents shall determine the subjects to be included in such
6 courses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, and human rights
7 issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of
8 genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground rail-
9 road), the Holocaust, and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to
10 1850, the history of people with disabilities, to be concentrated
11 during, but not limited to the third full week of October, and in the
12 history, meaning, significance and effect of the provisions of the
13 constitution of the United States, the amendments thereto, the declara-
14 tion of independence, the constitution of the state of New York and the
15 amendments thereto, and the period of instruction in each of the grades
16 in such subjects. They shall adopt rules providing for attendance upon
17 such instruction and for such other matters as are required for carrying
18 into effect the objects and purposes of this section. The commissioner
19 shall be responsible for the enforcement of such section and shall cause
20 to be inspected and supervise the instruction to be given in such
21 subjects. The commissioner may, in his or her discretion, cause all or a
22 portion of the public school money to be apportioned to a district or
23 city to be withheld for failure of the school authorities of such
24 district or city to provide instruction in such courses and to compel
25 attendance upon such instruction, as herein prescribed, and for a non-
26 compliance with the rules of the regents adopted as [herein] provided in
27 this section.
28 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
