What's happening
This bill requires all elementary and middle schools in New York, including private schools, to teach courses on state and local government.
Why it matters
Expanding civic education. By mandating courses on state and local government in both public and private schools, the bill aims to ensure all students gain an understanding of how their government functions and affects their daily lives from an early age.
Standardizing curriculum expectations. The requirement that private schools offer these courses—and the stipulation that failure to do so makes their instruction not “substantially equivalent” to public schools—could pressure private institutions to align more closely with public education standards, potentially affecting their curriculum autonomy.
Long-term civic engagement impact. Early and universal instruction in state and local government could foster greater civic awareness, encourage future participation in community affairs and voting, and help address current concerns about civic disengagement among younger generations.
Implementation timeline and preparation. With a two-year lead time before the law takes effect, schools and education authorities have a significant window to develop appropriate curricula, train teachers, and adjust resources, but will need to act proactively to ensure compliance and high-quality instruction.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Teach Civics in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1262
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 11, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the instruction of state and local government in elementary and middle schools in the state
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 802-b to read as follows:
§ 802-b. Courses of instruction in state and local government. 1. The regents shall prescribe courses of instruction in state and local government to be maintained and followed in all of the elementary and middle schools of the state. The boards of education and trustees of the several cities and school districts of the state shall require instruction to be given in such courses, by the teachers employed in the schools therein. All pupils attending such schools, in elementary and middle school grades, shall attend upon such instruction.
2. Similar courses of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in private schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools in grades or classes corresponding to the instruction in the elementary and middle school grades of the public schools shall attend upon such courses. If such courses are not so established and maintained in a private school, attendance upon instruction in such school shall not be deemed substantially equivalent to instruction given to pupils in the public schools of the city or district in which such pupils reside.
§ 2. This act shall take effect twenty-four months after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that any rules or regulations necessary for the timely implementation of this act on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04949-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.