STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5454--B
Cal. No. 578
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 29, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sens. HAMILTON, ALCANTARA, KENNEDY, MONTGOMERY, SAVINO,
STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be
committed to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with
Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee,
ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third reading,
amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of
third reading
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 817 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 817. 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 his or her designee, the chancellor of New York city schools, or
9 his or her designee, the chancellor of the state university of New York,
10 or his or her designee, and the chancellor of the board of regents, or
11 his or her designee, three members appointed by the governor, three
12 members appointed by the temporary president of the senate, and three
13 members appointed by the speaker of the assembly. Appointed members
14 shall include but not be limited to teachers, including K-12 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
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10730-05-8
S. 5454--B 2
1 of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment
2 for the unexpired term.
3 (c) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but
4 shall be entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred
5 in the performance of their duties.
6 (d) The commissioner, or his or her designee, shall serve as the chair
7 and the chancellor of New York city schools, or his or her designee,
8 shall serve as the vice-chair of the commission. The presence of a
9 majority of the authorized membership of the commission shall be
10 required for the conduct of official business.
11 (e) The department shall provide technical assistance and data to the
12 commission as may be necessary for the commission to carry out its
13 responsibilities pursuant to this section.
14 2. Duties and responsibilities of the commission. (a) The commission
15 shall be tasked with developing and recommending curriculum that incor-
16 porates the contributions and achievements made by African Americans as
17 part of New York's education curriculum, including but not limited to
18 the women's abolitionist movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Buffalo
19 anti-slavery movement, and the suffrage movement for African American
20 Long Islanders. In furtherance of this goal, the commission shall have
21 the following duties and responsibilities:
22 (i) To survey and review current elementary and secondary education
23 curriculum as it relates to contributions and achievements of African
24 Americans throughout American and state history;
25 (ii) To develop recommendations on additional curriculum and instruc-
26 tion for grades kindergarten through twelve that incorporate the
27 contributions and achievements made by African Americans throughout
28 American and New York state history; and
29 (iii) Prepare reports for the governor and legislature regarding its
30 findings and recommendations on current curriculum and incorporating
31 additional instruction on the contributions and achievements made by
32 African Americans throughout American and New York state history.
33 (b) The commission shall submit an annual report, beginning August 1,
34 2018, to the governor, the commissioner, the temporary president of the
35 senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate education
36 committee, and the chair of the assembly education committee on its
37 findings and recommendations.
38 3. African American history and achievement curriculum or instruction.
39 (a) The commissioner, in conjunction with other appropriate agencies,
40 shall establish African American history and achievement curriculum or
41 instruction for school districts based on the recommendations of the
42 commission. The content shall be age appropriate and shall be developed
43 according to the needs and abilities of pupils at successive grade
44 levels in order to provide materials, and information in African Ameri-
45 can history and achievement. The commissioner shall annually review the
46 commission's recommendations and make updates to curriculum as appropri-
47 ate.
48 (b) Schools may include the above materials as a component of its
49 history curriculum or any other way the school deems appropriate.
50 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
