Bill Text: NY S08089 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Relates to establishing the commission on African American history and achievement to develop and recommend school curriculum that incorporates the contributions and achievements made by African Americans.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-25 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S08089 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S08089-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8089

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 25, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- 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  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.
    21    (c) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but
    22  shall  be  entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred
    23  in the performance of their duties.
    24    (d) The commissioner, or his or her designee, shall serve as the chair
    25  and the chancellor of New York city schools, or  his  or  her  designee,
    26  shall  serve  as  the  vice-chair  of  the commission. The presence of a
    27  majority of  the  authorized  membership  of  the  commission  shall  be
    28  required for the conduct of official business.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04890-01-1
        S. 8089                             2

     1    (e)  The department shall provide technical assistance and data to the
     2  commission as may be necessary for  the  commission  to  carry  out  its
     3  responsibilities pursuant to this section.
     4    2.  Duties and responsibilities of the commission.  (a) The commission
     5  shall be tasked with developing and recommending curriculum that  incor-
     6  porates  the contributions and achievements made by African Americans as
     7  part of New York's education curriculum, including but  not  limited  to
     8  the  women's  abolitionist movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Buffalo
     9  anti-slavery movement, and the suffrage movement  for  African  American
    10  Long  Islanders.  In furtherance of this goal, the commission shall have
    11  the following duties and responsibilities:
    12    (i) To survey and review current elementary  and  secondary  education
    13  curriculum  as  it  relates to contributions and achievements of African
    14  Americans throughout American and state history;
    15    (ii) To develop recommendations on additional curriculum and  instruc-
    16  tion  for  grades  kindergarten  through  twelve  that  incorporate  the
    17  contributions and achievements  made  by  African  Americans  throughout
    18  American and New York state history; and
    19    (iii)  Prepare  reports for the governor and legislature regarding its
    20  findings and recommendations on  current  curriculum  and  incorporating
    21  additional  instruction  on  the  contributions and achievements made by
    22  African Americans throughout American and New York state history.
    23    (b) The commission shall submit an  annual  report,  beginning  August
    24  first,  two  thousand twenty-two, to the governor, the commissioner, the
    25  temporary president of the senate, the  speaker  of  the  assembly,  the
    26  chair  of  the senate education committee, and the chair of the assembly
    27  education committee on its findings and recommendations.
    28    3. African American history and achievement curriculum or instruction.
    29  (a) The commissioner, in conjunction with  other  appropriate  agencies,
    30  shall  establish  African American history and achievement curriculum or
    31  instruction for school districts based on  the  recommendations  of  the
    32  commission.  The content shall be age appropriate and shall be developed
    33  according to the needs and  abilities  of  pupils  at  successive  grade
    34  levels  in order to provide materials, and information in African Ameri-
    35  can history and achievement. The commissioner shall annually review  the
    36  commission's recommendations and make updates to curriculum as appropri-
    37  ate.
    38    (b)  Schools  may  include  the  above materials as a component of its
    39  history curriculum or any other way the school deems appropriate.
    40    § 2.  Section 2590-h of the education law is amended by adding  a  new
    41  subdivision 56 to read as follows:
    42    56. Ensure that all students in the city district, the charter schools
    43  in the city of New York authorized by article fifty-six of this chapter,
    44  and  the nonpublic schools in the city of New York providing instruction
    45  in accordance with section thirty-two hundred four of this  chapter,  as
    46  part  of  the instruction in awareness of African American history since
    47  the year sixteen hundred nineteen  pursuant  to  section  eight  hundred
    48  seventeen  of  this chapter, shall visit sites which educate about these
    49  historical events.
    50    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately, provided,  however,  that
    51  the  amendments  to  section 2590-h of the education law made by section
    52  two of this act shall not affect the expiration and  reversion  of  such
    53  section and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith.