What's happening
This bill requires New York to create a K-12 educational program to prevent anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Why it matters
Brings outside expertise directly into schools. By requiring the state to contract with an external organization specializing in anti-bias education, the bill ensures that curriculum and resources are grounded in current best practices and expert knowledge, rather than being developed solely in-house.
Focuses on comprehensive, age-appropriate education. The program must create model lesson plans and instructional materials that are tailored for different grade levels (K-12), ensuring that both the content and approach are suitable for students’ developmental stages.
Emphasizes practical prevention and reporting tools. The curriculum and materials will include clear guidelines for identifying, preventing, and reporting incidents of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination, giving students, parents, and school staff actionable steps to address these issues.
Expands access through multilingual resources. All educational materials must be made publicly available online in multiple languages prevalent in New York, increasing accessibility for non-English-speaking communities and ensuring broader reach and impact.
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Who cares
State Education Department
Subject to an appropriation, the department would contract with an outside expert entity and oversee development of a K–12 bias-prevention education program.
School boards, superintendents and teachers
They would receive age-appropriate model curricula, lesson plans and instructional resources for voluntary use in social studies.
Students, parents and school personnel
The program would provide resources on preventing anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, including warning signs and how to report incidents.
Spanish-, Creole-, Mandarin-, Korean- and Bengali-speaking families
The department would have to make all program materials publicly available on its website in these languages and other languages predominantly spoken in the state.
Headline styles
Teach Anti-Bias in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 7
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Print number 7198c
- Amend (t) and recommit to education
- Print number 7198b
- Amend (t) and recommit to education
- Print number 7198a
- Amend (t) and recommit 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 Anti-Bias in Schools
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Steve Stern
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7198--C
IN SENATE
January 10, 2020
Introduced by Sens. KAPLAN, GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing an educational program related to the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 59 to read as follows:
59. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, and subject to an appropriation, the department shall contract with an outside entity who has expertise in the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression to establish an anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination prevention and education program overseen by such department. The commissioner shall work with such outside entity, to establish and develop an educational program within such department related to the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in grades kindergarten through twelve. Such program shall be further defined by such commissioner in regulation and shall be designed to educate students, parents and school personnel about the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Such commissioner, in collaboration with any other stakeholder groups deemed appropriate by such commissioner, shall develop:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14682-07-0
S. 7198--C 2
a. the anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination prevention and education program prepared by an outside expert organization into age-appropriate model curriculum resources, including exemplar lesson plans, and best practice instructional resources for students, parents and school personnel designed to prevent anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Such model curriculum, resources, lesson plans and instructional resources shall include but not be limited to guidelines and methods of prevention, indicators and warning signs of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, guidelines and methods to prevent anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression and how to report complaints of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Such model curriculum shall be made available to school boards, school superintendents, their equivalents, and teachers for voluntary implementation in social studies classes and in social studies coursework;
b. instructional tools and materials for students, parents and school personnel, which shall include updated information on how to report incidents of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, with a review of such information to occur periodically, at intervals deemed appropriate by such commissioner; and
c. public availability of all materials related to the anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination prevention and education program on such department's website in Spanish, Creole, Mandarin, Korean, Bengali and any other language predominantly spoken by the population of the state.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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 establishing an educa- tional program related to the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation creates an anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimi- nation prevention and education program overseen by the Department that includes a curriculum standard.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: creates a new subdivision 59 to Section 305 of the education law. Specifically this section would require the Department to contract with an outside entity with expertise in the prevention of anti-Semi- tism, Islamophobia, and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. This organization would be tasked with creating an anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimination prevention and education program overseen by the Department. Working together they will create an educational program within the Department related to the prevention of anti-Semitism. Islamophobia and discrimi- nation based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. This program will be designed to educate students, parents and school personnel about the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
The Commissioner in collaboration with any stakeholder groups deemed appropriate shall develop an anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and discrimi- nation prevention and education program in age-appropriate model curric- ulum including lesson plans, best practice instructional resources for students, parents, and school personnel designed to prevent anti-Semi- tism, Islamophobia, and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. This material shall include but not is limited to guidelines and methods of prevention, indicators and warning signs of anti-Semitism. Islamophobia, and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Model curriculum shall be made available for implementation in social studies classes. This section also requires instructional tools and materials to be updated on a periodic basis and to be made available on the Department's website in Spanish, Creole, Mandarin, Korean, Bengali and any other language predominantly spoken by the population of the State.
Section 2: sets the effective date.
Justification
Hate has no place here. With a disturbing increase in the number of anti-Semitic attacks and assaults occurring in New York we must work on multiple fronts to combat the scourge of hate, intolerance, anti-Semi- tism and Islamophobia. One of these critical ways is to ensure that our children, the most precious of all are taught from an early age to iden- tify discrimination and religious intolerance including hate, anti-Semi- tism and Islamophobia; and how to fight back by promoting acceptance and inclusion while embracing the diversity that is New York. This legis- lation creates an anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and discrimination prevention and education program and curriculum overseen by the Depart- ment to engage our students, their parents and school faculty to help teach be acceptance and inclusion of all, and to identify and fight back against those who practice hate, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, discrimi- nation and religious intolerance.
Prior legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi- tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.