Bill Text: NY A10409 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires certain school districts to add American sign language to their curriculum based on the student population of the county.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-04-19 - referred to education [A10409 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A10409-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          10409
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                     April 19, 2018
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. BARNWELL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Education
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education law, in relation to requiring certain
          school districts add American sign language to their curriculum
          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.  American  sign language. 1. Certain schools, as designated by
     4  the commissioner under the requirements as stated in subdivision two  of
     5  this section, shall include American sign language in their curriculum.
     6    2. The commissioner shall determine which schools will integrate Amer-
     7  ican sign language into their respective curriculum based on the follow-
     8  ing criteria:
     9    a.  in  a  county  with  a  minimum total of fifteen thousand students
    10  enrolled full time, at least one school district shall be designated  by
    11  the  commissioner  to  incorporate  American  sign  language  into their
    12  curriculum. This school district must have one  elementary  school,  one
    13  middle school and one high school within the chosen district.
    14    b.  in  a  county  with  a  minimum  total  of fifty thousand students
    15  enrolled full time, at least two school districts shall be designated by
    16  the commissioner  to  incorporate  American  sign  language  into  their
    17  curriculum  in at least one elementary school, one middle school and one
    18  high school within each of the chosen districts.
    19    c. in a county with a minimum total of one hundred  thousand  students
    20  enrolled  full time, at least three school districts shall be designated
    21  by the commissioner to incorporate American  sign  language  into  their
    22  curriculum  in at least one elementary school, one middle school and one
    23  high school within each of the chosen districts.
    24    d. in a city with a minimum total of  one  million  students  enrolled
    25  full  time,  any  school  district  with a minimum total of seventy-five
    26  students with a hearing disability shall be designated  by  the  commis-
    27  sioner to incorporate American sign language into their curriculum in at
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14809-01-8
        A. 10409                            2
     1  least one elementary school, one middle school and one high school with-
     2  in said district.
     3    3.  The commissioner may prescribe regulations governing such American
     4  sign language courses which shall include instruction in  American  sign
     5  language.    Such  regulations  shall not prescribe a course of study in
     6  American sign language which sets forth standards for instruction  of  a
     7  lesser quality than that of any other non-English language.
     8    4.  School authorities required to offer such course shall provide the
     9  needed facilities, time and place for the instruction set  forth  herein
    10  and  shall  provide  learning  aids and curriculum resource materials to
    11  support such course of study.
    12    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  apply  to  the
    13  school  year  which commences on or after July first next succeeding the
    14  date on which it shall have become a law. The commissioner of  education
    15  shall promulgate such regulations as shall be necessary to implement the
    16  provisions of this act not later than 30 days after such effective date.