Bill Text: NY A02559 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to requiring instruction in Asian American and Pacific Islander history for grades K through 12.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to education [A02559 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A02559-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2559

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 26, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. COLTON, DAVILA, REYES, EPSTEIN, SIMON -- read
          once and referred to the Committee on Education

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring  instruction
          in Asian American and Pacific Islander history

          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  801-b
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  801-b. Instruction in  Asian American and Pacific Islander history.
     4  1. Commencing with the two thousand  twenty-four--two  thousand  twenty-
     5  five  school  year, every public elementary school and high school shall
     6  include as a required curriculum  in  each  grade  kindergarten  through
     7  twelfth  grade  a  unit of instruction covering events of Asian American
     8  and Pacific Islander history.
     9    2. Instruction required by this  section  shall  include  but  not  be
    10  limited to the following:
    11    a.  the  history  of  Asian American and Pacific Islanders in New York
    12  including their accomplishments in music,  the  arts,  financial  enter-
    13  prise, government, science and culture;
    14    b.  the  history of Asian Americans and their role in the construction
    15  of the Continental Railroad; and
    16    c. the contributions of Asian American and Pacific  Islanders  to  the
    17  cultural,  political,  social  and  economic  development  of the United
    18  States.
    19    3. a. The commissioner shall provide assistance in developing  age-ap-
    20  propriate curriculum for each grade.
    21    b.    The regents shall adopt rules for the curriculum course required
    22  to effectuate such courses of studies as  an  appropriate  part  of  the
    23  curriculum for Asian American and Pacific Islander studies.
    24    4.  The  commissioner shall make available to all public schools suit-
    25  able educational materials to effectuate the purposes of this section in

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00931-01-3
        A. 2559                             2

     1  Asian American and Pacific Islanders studies and shall  make  rules  and
     2  regulations governing such courses of study.
     3    5.  The commissioner shall be responsible for enforcing the provisions
     4  of this section.
     5    § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
     6  the date upon which it shall have become a law.