Bill Text: NY S01135 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Relates to establishing the commission on African American history and achievement.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-27 - PRINT NUMBER 1135A [S01135 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S01135-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1135--A 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 11, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sens. BENJAMIN, PERSAUD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee 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 19 of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment 20 for the unexpired term. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05533-03-0S. 1135--A 2 1 (c) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but 2 shall be entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred 3 in the performance of their duties. 4 (d) The commissioner, or his or her designee, shall serve as the chair 5 and the chancellor of New York city schools, or his or her designee, 6 shall serve as the vice-chair of the commission. The presence of a 7 majority of the authorized membership of the commission shall be 8 required for the conduct of official business. 9 (e) The department shall provide technical assistance and data to the 10 commission as may be necessary for the commission to carry out its 11 responsibilities pursuant to this section. 12 2. Duties and responsibilities of the commission. (a) The commission 13 shall be tasked with developing and recommending curriculum that incor- 14 porates the contributions and achievements made by African Americans as 15 part of New York's education curriculum, including but not limited to 16 the women's abolitionist movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Buffalo 17 anti-slavery movement, and the suffrage movement for African American 18 Long Islanders. In furtherance of this goal, the commission shall have 19 the following duties and responsibilities: 20 (i) To survey and review current elementary and secondary education 21 curriculum as it relates to contributions and achievements of African 22 Americans throughout American and state history; 23 (ii) To develop recommendations on additional curriculum and instruc- 24 tion for grades kindergarten through twelve that incorporate the 25 contributions and achievements made by African Americans throughout 26 American and New York state history; and 27 (iii) Prepare reports for the governor and legislature regarding its 28 findings and recommendations on current curriculum and incorporating 29 additional instruction on the contributions and achievements made by 30 African Americans throughout American and New York state history. 31 (b) The commission shall submit an annual report, beginning August 32 first, two thousand twenty-one, to the governor, the commissioner, the 33 temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the 34 chair of the senate education committee, and the chair of the assembly 35 education committee on its findings and recommendations. 36 3. African American history and achievement curriculum or instruction. 37 (a) The commissioner, in conjunction with other appropriate agencies, 38 shall establish African American history and achievement curriculum or 39 instruction for school districts based on the recommendations of the 40 commission. The content shall be age appropriate and shall be developed 41 according to the needs and abilities of pupils at successive grade 42 levels in order to provide materials, and information in African Ameri- 43 can history and achievement. The commissioner shall annually review the 44 commission's recommendations and make updates to curriculum as appropri- 45 ate. 46 (b) Schools may include the above materials as a component of its 47 history curriculum or any other way the school deems appropriate. 48 § 2. Section 2590-h of the education law is amended by adding a new 49 subdivision 55 to read as follows: 50 55. Ensure that all students in the city district, the charter schools 51 in the city of New York authorized by article fifty-six of this chapter, 52 and the nonpublic schools in the city of New York providing instruction 53 in accordance with section thirty-two hundred four of this chapter, as 54 part of the instruction in awareness of African American history since 55 the year sixteen hundred nineteen pursuant to section eight hundredS. 1135--A 3 1 seventeen of this chapter, shall visit sites which educate about these 2 historical events. 3 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, that 4 the amendments to section 2590-h of the education law made by section 5 two of this act shall not affect the expiration and reversion of such 6 section and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith.
