Bill Text: NY S00873 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Bill 873

Introduced

Bill Title: 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.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S00873 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S00873-Introduced.html




                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           873

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 6, 2023
                                       ___________

        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     4  important that the integrity of such historical documents be  maintained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.
                                                                   LBD03719-01-3