What's happening
This bill authorizes a biennial contest for elementary students to select the official Empire State children's book in New York.
Why it matters
Promotes literacy and student engagement. By letting elementary students vote on a state children’s book, the bill encourages reading and gives young people a meaningful voice in state-level cultural decisions.
Creates visibility for children’s literature. The chosen book will be featured and sold at schools, libraries, public events, and on the state website, spotlighting children’s authors and stories and potentially boosting interest in reading among kids.
Sustains itself financially. Proceeds from book sales are earmarked to fund future contests, aiming to create a self-sustaining program without requiring ongoing new taxpayer funding.
Statewide participation and unity. The contest engages students across New York, fostering a sense of community, shared experience, and state identity through a common literary selection.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Pick Official Kids' Book
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
47
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to authorize the commissioner of education to design and implement a biennial contest to name an official Empire state children's book
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Empire state children's book project. 1. The commissioner of education, or his or her designee, is hereby authorized and directed to design and implement the Empire state children's book project. Such project design shall include, but not be limited to, the following components:
(a) Such commissioner or his or her designee shall develop the criteria for and a process for determining the five books which will be considered official children's book finalists.
(b) Such commissioner or his or her designee shall design a statewide contest in which all elementary school students shall vote, from among the five finalists, for the official Empire state children's book.
(c) Such process for choosing five finalists and such statewide contest shall be conducted by the education department every two years.
2. The official Empire state children's book shall be highlighted as such and made available for display and sale during the period of its biennial reign at all public elementary schools and their libraries, public libraries, state sponsored functions, fairs and events for children, the state museum gift shop, and on the state website. Any and all proceeds collected by the education department in the sale of such official state children's book shall be used to offset the future costs of the Empire state children's book project.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, that the first official children's book shall be chosen on or before the first of October, 2019.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01320-01-7
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.