What's happening
This bill requires all New York public and charter schools to teach comprehensive climate change and sustainability education from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Why it matters
Mandates science-based climate education. The bill requires that students learn about the scientific consensus on how human activities drive climate change, as well as its effects and associated dangers, ensuring that education is grounded in current scientific understanding.
Standardizes, but allows for local adaptation. While the commissioner will set a statewide curriculum, New York City or local school boards can use their own materials if they meet the same rigorous standards—balancing consistency across the state with flexibility for local needs.
Promotes early and ongoing engagement. By mandating instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade, the bill aims to build foundational climate literacy from a young age and reinforce it throughout a student’s education.
Requires schools to provide resources and support. Schools must allocate time, facilities, and appropriate learning materials for climate education, reducing the risk that this mandate will be treated as an unfunded or low-priority requirement.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Teach Climate in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9150
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2020
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring climate change and sustainability education in elementary and high schools
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 817 to read as follows:
§ 817. Comprehensive climate change and sustainability education. 1. The commissioner shall create and establish a comprehensive and accurate climate change and sustainability curriculum which shall be taught in grades kindergarten through twelve in all public and charter schools. Such curriculum shall include instruction on how human activities cause climate change, the effects of climate change, the dangers associated with climate change and preventative measures that can be taken to alleviate the impacts of climate change.
2. The chancellor of the New York city school system, or a board of education may adopt their own curriculum upon approval of the commissioner, provided, however, that the commissioner shall not approve any curriculum which does not substantially comply with the curriculum created pursuant to subdivision one of this section.
3. Schools shall begin teaching the curriculum established pursuant to this section in the first school year following certification by the commissioner that such curriculum has been established.
4. School authorities shall provide the needed facilities, time and place for the instruction set forth in this section and shall provide learning aids and curriculum resource materials which contribute to effective teaching methods and learning in education regarding climate change and sustainability.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14164-01-9
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.