What's happening
This bill creates a media literacy advisory committee to study and annually review teaching policies and procedures on media literacy in New York schools.
Why it matters
Establishes an ongoing, expert-driven process to keep media literacy education current. , ensuring that policies and classroom practices adapt to fast-changing media and technology landscapes, which is crucial for preparing students to critically navigate modern information environments.
Involves a diverse group of stakeholders—including parents, teachers, librarians, students, and community members—in shaping media literacy policy. , which helps ensure that policies are relevant, practical, and responsive to the needs and experiences of those directly impacted.
Aims to integrate digital citizenship, internet safety, and cyberbullying prevention into educational standards and practices. , potentially leading to more proactive, comprehensive approaches to student well-being and online behavior in New York schools.
Mandates annual review and adjustment. , making media literacy instruction a living process rather than a one-time curriculum update, which can help schools better address emerging challenges like misinformation, online harassment, and evolving digital platforms.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Media Literacy Committee
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
150
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, KELLES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to direct the commissioner of education to appoint a media literacy advisory committee to study the teaching of media literacy; and to amend the education law, in relation to creating a media literacy advisory committee to annually review policy and procedures on media literacy
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. For purposes of this act, "media literacy" shall be considered a broad term that encompasses consumption and production of media and digital products and is defined as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, act and create with all forms of communication, and encompasses the foundational skills of digital citizenship and internet safety including the norms of appropriate, responsible, healthy behavior, and cyberbullying prevention.
§ 2. The commissioner of education, in cooperation with experts in media literacy, the board of regents of the university of the state of New York, and stakeholders including educators and parents, shall appoint a media literacy advisory committee ("committee") to conduct a study on teaching of media literacy in schools.
§ 3. The committee shall make a report of its findings, including any recommendations for legislative action as it may deem necessary and appropriate, best practices for instruction that provides guidance about thoughtful, safe, and strategic uses of online and other media resources and education on how to apply critical thinking skills when consuming and producing media in any form. These recommendations and best practices may include, but are not limited to:
(a) revisions to state education standards and the state instructional technology plan;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01340-01-5
(b) revisions to policies and procedures on media literacy, including digital citizenship and internet safety;
(c) school district processes necessary to develop customized school district policies and procedures on electronic resources and internet safety that can be used within a school district technology plan;
(d) best practices, resources, and models for instruction in media literacy;
(e) best practices, resources, and models for instruction of digital citizenship, including media literacy, that are compliant with the federal universal service e-rate program administered by the schools and libraries division of the universal service administrative company and federal mandates established in the federal children's internet protection act; and
(f) strategies that will support school districts in local implementation of the best practices and recommendations developed by the committee, including strategies for delivering professional development to educators and administrators.
§ 4. The report required by section three of this act shall be delivered to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly no later than one year after the effective date of this act.
§ 5. The education law is amended by adding a new section 756 to read as follows:
§ 756. Annual review of media literacy policy and procedures. 1. For purposes of this section, "media literacy" shall be considered a broad term that encompasses consumption and production of media and digital products and is defined as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, act and create with all forms of communication, and encompasses the foundational skills of digital citizenship and internet safety including the norms of appropriate, responsible, healthy behavior, and cyberbullying prevention.
2. Beginning in the two thousand twenty-six--two thousand twenty-seven school year, a media literacy advisory committee shall be created within the department to review and amend the policy and procedures on media literacy. The committee, in conjunction with national or statewide organizations focused on media literacy, shall:
(a) involve a representation of parents or guardians, teachers, teacher librarians, other school employees, school administrators, pupils, and community representatives with experience or expertise in media literacy issues;
(b) consider customizing the model policy and procedures on electronic resources;
(c) consider existing school district resources; and
(d) consider best practices, resources, and models for instruction in media literacy, including methods to involve parents.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.