Bill Text: NY S00287 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the commissioner of education to make recommendations to the board of regents relating to adjusting curricula for social studies, economics, geography, and government classes to include climate change education.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S00287 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S00287-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           287

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 4, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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 requiring the  commis-
          sioner  of  education  to make recommendations to the board of regents
          relating to adjusting curricula for certain classes to include climate
          change education

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
     2  subdivision 60 to read as follows:
     3    60.  a.  The  commissioner  shall make recommendations to the board of
     4  regents relating to adjusting curricula for social  studies,  economics,
     5  geography,  and  government  classes  in  New  York  schools  to include
     6  requirements for climate change education.
     7    b. Such instruction requirements shall include, but not be limited to,
     8  instruction on:
     9    (i) the social, cultural, and political impacts of climate change;
    10    (ii) the global effects of climate change;
    11    (iii) global efforts to address climate change, including  citizen-led
    12  activism from around the world;
    13    (iv)  the  disproportionate  impact  of  climate  change on particular
    14  communities, including communities of color and New York's Native Ameri-
    15  can communities;
    16    (v) climate denialism; and
    17    (vi) any other instruction  or  methods  of  instruction  relating  to
    18  climate change the commissioner deems necessary.
    19    c.  Prior  to  making the recommendations to the board of regents, the
    20  commissioner shall seek input from leaders in disadvantaged communities,
    21  Native  American  communities,  youth  organizations,  and  the  climate

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00473-01-3
        S. 287                              2

     1  justice  working  group  established  pursuant to section 75-0111 of the
     2  environmental conservation law.
     3    d.  No  later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of
     4  this subdivision, the commissioner shall provide a recommendation to the
     5  board of regents to either adopt and promulgate  appropriate  rules  and
     6  regulations implementing such curricula, or reject the implementation of
     7  such  curricula.  Upon receiving a recommendation from the commissioner,
     8  pursuant to this subdivision, the board of regents shall vote to  either
     9  accept  or  reject the commissioner's recommendation no later than sixty
    10  days after receiving such recommendation.
    11    e. If the board  of  regents  adopts  such  curricula,  the  curricula
    12  requirement  shall  take effect no later than the next school year after
    13  such curricula have been adopted.
    14    f. If the board of regents rejects such  curricula,  the  commissioner
    15  shall  provide  a  report  as  to  the determination of the board to the
    16  governor, the temporary president of the  senate,  the  speaker  of  the
    17  assembly, and the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on educa-
    18  tion providing the reasons for such rejection not later than thirty days
    19  after the board of regents rejects such curricula.
    20    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.