What's happening
This bill amends education law to require public schools to include civility, citizenship, and character education addressing harassment, bullying, and discrimination.
Why it matters
Requires public schools to explicitly address harassment, bullying, and discrimination. in their civility, citizenship, and character education, which means students will be taught about these issues as part of their required curriculum.
Expands the definition of “tolerance,” “respect for others,” and “dignity”. to specifically include awareness and sensitivity to differences in race, weight, national origin, ethnicity, religion, religious practice, ability, sexual orientation, gender, and sex—potentially making schools more inclusive and responsive to the needs of diverse student populations.
Mandates instruction on safe and responsible use of the internet and electronic communications. , recognizing the importance of digital behavior and aiming to address cyberbullying and online harassment as part of character education.
Empowers the Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education. to determine how these requirements are integrated into current curricula and issue necessary regulations, which could lead to significant changes in how schools approach social-emotional learning and school climate.
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Who cares
Public school districts and teachers
The bill would specify that the listed definitions of tolerance, respect for others and dignity apply to civility, citizenship and character instruction in public schools.
Nonpublic schools
The bill would limit the provision defining those terms through awareness of differences such as race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender to public school courses.
Board of Regents and education commissioner
The bill would narrow the scope of the definitions within the character education requirements they oversee.
Public school students and anti-bullying advocates
The bill would retain explicit coverage of harassment, bullying and discrimination involving the listed personal characteristics in public school instruction.
Headline styles
Teach Respect in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Teach Respect in Schools
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Michaelle C. Solages
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4376
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 11, 2019
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, BAILEY, KENNEDY, MONTGOMERY, PERSAUD, SANDERS -- 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 making certain provisions applicable to public schools relating to instruction in civility, citizenship and character education
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 801-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
§ 801-a. Instruction in civility, citizenship and character education. The regents shall ensure that the course of instruction in grades kindergarten through twelve includes a component on civility, citizenship and character education. Such component shall instruct students on the principles of honesty, tolerance, personal responsibility, respect for others, with an emphasis on discouraging acts of harassment, bullying, discrimination, observance of laws and rules, courtesy, dignity and other traits which will enhance the quality of their experiences in, and contributions to, the community. Such component shall include instruction of safe, responsible use of the internet and electronic communications. The regents shall determine how to incorporate such component in existing curricula and the commissioner shall promulgate any regulations needed to carry out such determination of the regents. For the purposes of this section for courses of instruction in public schools, "tolerance," "respect for others" and "dignity" shall include awareness and sensitivity to harassment, bullying, discrimination and civility in the relations of people of different races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, genders, and sexes.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04253-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to making certain provisions applicable to public schools relating to instruction in civility, citizenship and character education
Purpose or general idea of bill
To amend Education Law section 801-a, relating to instruction in civili- ty, citizenship and character, to explicitly state that the amendments made to that section by chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, apply only to public schools.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill makes a technical correction to the Dignity for All Students Act ("Dignity"), so that Education-Law section 801-a, relating to instruction in civility, citizenship and character, will explicitly state the legislature's original intent that the amendments made to that section by Dignity apply only to public schools, as does the main body of Dignity, set out in Education Law Article 2.
Justification
The primary content of chanter 102 of the laws of 2012, known as the Dignity for All Students Act ("Dignity"), is set out in Article 2 of the Education Law, entitled "Dignity for All Students." The Dignity Act applies only to public schools. See, Education Law section 10, section 11(1), and section 17(1) (explicitly exempting private, religious and denominational institutions). Chapter 102 also made changes to two other sections of the Education Law, one of which was Education Law section 801-a. It was always the Legislature's intent that the language added to section 801-a by Dignity would apply to the same schools as Article 2, i.e., to public schools and not to private and religious schools. Language making that intent explicit was inadvertently omitted from the bill text. This technical chapter amendment corrects the inadvertent omission.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S3078 Referred to Education 2015-16: S.1409 - Referred to Education 2013-14: S.894 - Referred to Education 2011-12: S.5834/A.8310 - Passed assembly/Died in Education
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.