STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3972 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 30, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SEPULVEDA, JOYNER, WEPRIN, DAVILA, MAGEE, CRESPO, COOK, JAFFEE, ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to instruction on the Garifuna people The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 801 of the education law, 2 as amended by chapter 574 of the laws of 1997, are amended to read as 3 follows: 4 1. In order to promote a spirit of patriotic and civic service and 5 obligation and to foster in the children of the state moral and intel- 6 lectual qualities which are essential in preparing to meet the obli- 7 gations of citizenship in peace or in war, the regents of The University 8 of the State of New York shall prescribe courses of instruction in 9 patriotism, citizenship, and human rights issues, with particular atten- 10 tion to the study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery (including the 11 freedom trail and underground railroad), the Holocaust, the history of 12 the Garifuna people, and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 13 1850, to be maintained and followed in all the schools of the state. The 14 boards of education and trustees of the several cities and school 15 districts of the state shall require instruction to be given in such 16 courses, by the teachers employed in the schools therein. All pupils 17 attending such schools, over the age of eight years, shall attend upon 18 such instruction. 19 Similar courses of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in 20 private schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools over eight 21 years of age shall attend upon such courses. If such courses are not so 22 established and maintained in a private school, attendance upon instruc- 23 tion in such school shall not be deemed substantially equivalent to EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07372-01-7

A. 3972 2 1 instruction given to pupils of like age in the public schools of the 2 city or district in which such pupils reside. 3 3. The regents shall determine the subjects to be included in such 4 courses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, and human rights 5 issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of 6 genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground rail- 7 road), the Holocaust, the history of the Garifuna people, and the mass 8 starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, and in the history, meaning, 9 significance and effect of the provisions of the constitution of the 10 United States, the amendments thereto, the declaration of independence, 11 the constitution of the state of New York and the amendments thereto, 12 and the period of instruction in each of the grades in such subjects. 13 They shall adopt rules providing for attendance upon such instruction 14 and for such other matters as are required for carrying into effect the 15 objects and purposes of this section. The commissioner shall be respon- 16 sible for the enforcement of such section and shall cause to be 17 inspected and supervise the instruction to be given in such subjects. 18 The commissioner may, in his discretion, cause all or a portion of the 19 public school money to be apportioned to a district or city to be with- 20 held for failure of the school authorities of such district or city to 21 provide instruction in such courses and to compel attendance upon such 22 instruction, as herein prescribed, and for a non-compliance with the 23 rules of the regents adopted as herein provided. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 25 the date on which it shall have become a law.

Relates to instruction on the Garifuna people

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