What's happening
This bill requires New York schools to teach about the events and impact of September 11th.
Why it matters
This bill directly affects all public school students and educators across New York State. by mandating the teaching of 9/11’s history and legacy in K-12 education, but allows districts flexibility to tailor the curriculum to their communities’ needs.
It requires the New York State Education Department to create and distribute age-appropriate, factually accurate, and reputable curricular resources. about the events, heroism, and global impacts of September 11th, ensuring consistent access to quality educational materials for voluntary use statewide.
By embedding 9/11 education into social studies or other appropriate coursework, the bill aims to foster historical understanding, civic awareness, and resilience among students. , while formally recognizing the enduring significance of the attacks and the contributions of first responders like Firefighter Joseph P. Spor Jr.
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Who cares
School Districts and Educators
Responsible for implementing the new 9/11 awareness curriculum, adapting lesson plans, and ensuring compliance with state requirements.
Students and Families
Directly impacted by curriculum changes; students will receive expanded instruction on 9/11, its context, and consequences, potentially affecting family discussions and perspectives.
Survivors, First Responders, and 9/11 Advocacy Groups
Have a vested interest in how the events and aftermath of 9/11 are taught, ensuring accuracy, sensitivity, and recognition of heroism and loss.
New York State Education Department
Tasked with developing, providing, and maintaining curriculum materials and resources, as well as offering guidance to school districts on best practices for teaching this content.
Headline styles
Teach 9/11 in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to rules
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 9/11 in Schools
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Matthew Slater
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10693
IN SENATE
September 9, 2026
Introduced by Sen. ROLISON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting Firefighter Joseph P. Spor Jr.'s Law requiring the establishment of September eleventh awareness curriculum or instruction for school districts
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Firefighter Joseph P. Spor Jr.'s Law".
§ 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 820 to read as follows:
§ 820. September eleventh awareness curriculum or instruction. 1. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the commissioner, in consultation with any appropriate agency, shall establish September eleventh (9/11) awareness curriculum or instruction for school districts regarding the September eleventh, two thousand one attacks on the United States of America and their ongoing repercussions. The content of such curriculum or instruction may be varied to meet the needs of particular school districts, or portions thereof, and need not be uniform throughout the state.
2. The content of such curriculum or instruction shall include the following core tenets and themes:
(a) the historical context of terrorism;
(b) the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania;
(c) American recovery and response to the attacks;
(d) global challenges and consequences in a post-9/11 world;
(e) examples of heroism, resilience, and service that emerged during and after 9/11 from people all over the world; and
(f) the global response to terrorism following the events of 9/11.
3. The department shall make available on its website curriculum materials and other available resources regarding the events and significance of September eleventh, two thousand one, for voluntary use by school entities. The educational resources used in the curriculum or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07430-03-6
instruction shall be age appropriate, factually accurate, and sourced from reputable sources, and shall aid in students' understanding of what happened on 9/11 and in its aftermath, and the continuing importance of the attacks today.
4. A school may include the curriculum or instruction required by this section as a component of its social studies curriculum or in any other manner such school deems appropriate.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date upon 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 enacting Firefighter Joseph P. Spor Jr.'s Law requiring the establishment of September elev- enth awareness curriculum or instruction for school districts
Purpose or general idea of bill
Requires the commissioner of education to establish September eleventh awareness curriculum or instruction for school districts.
Summary of provisions
Amends education law by adding a new section 820 establishing 9/11 awareness curriculum, including:
a. The historical context of terrorism.
b. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93.
c. American recovery and response to the attacks.
d. Global challenges and consequences in a post-9/11 world.
e. Examples of heroism, resilience, and service that emerged during and after 9/11 from people all over the world.
f. Global response to terrorism following the events of 9/11 Requires the education resources used in the curriculum shall be age appropriate, factually accurate, and from reputable sources.
A school may include the instruction as a component of its social studies curriculum or in any other manner such school deems appropriate.
Justification
The attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 were the deadliest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, with 2,977 innocent people killed by terrorists altering the trajectory of America and our way life. Sadly, the death toll of 9/11 continues to climb years later from post 9/11 illnesses. The children of today were not alive during these attacks and the subsequent recovery and response efforts. As those who remember, experienced, and lost loved ones to the attacks on 9/11, it is our duty to ensure that future generations never forget what happened on that fateful morn-submitting tted in to heroes like .FDNY Firefighter Joe Spor Jr. who was returning home from his shift and-returned to Ground Zero after the planes struck. Joe, like 342 other brave FDNY members, lost their lives helping others.
As New Yorkers, we must honor the memories of Joe Spor Jr. and countless other heroes by ensuring future generations are properly educated and never forget the meaning of 9/11.
Prior legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
Nominal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date upon which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.