S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  2434

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 18, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. SPANO, MAISEL, ENGLEBRIGHT, CYMBROWITZ, WEINSTEIN
  -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. PHEFFER -- read once and referred to
  the Committee on Education

AN  ACT  to  amend  the education law, in relation to instruction on the
  subject of the history of the Ukrainian Genocide-Holodomor of 1932  to
  1933

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 801 of the  education  law,
as  amended  by  chapter 574 of the laws of 1997, are amended to read as
follows:
  1. In order to promote a spirit of patriotic  and  civic  service  and
obligation  and  to foster in the children of the state moral and intel-
lectual qualities which are essential in preparing  to  meet  the  obli-
gations of citizenship in peace or in war, the regents of The University
of  the  State  of  New  York  shall prescribe courses of instruction in
patriotism, citizenship, and human rights issues, with particular atten-
tion to the study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery (including  the
freedom  trail  and  underground railroad), the Holocaust, THE UKRAINIAN
GENOCIDE-HOLODOMOR OF 1932 TO 1933, and the mass starvation  in  Ireland
from  1845  to 1850, to be maintained and followed in all the schools of
the state. The boards of education and trustees of  the  several  cities
and  school districts of the state shall require instruction to be given
in such courses, by the teachers employed in the  schools  therein.  All
pupils attending such schools, over the age of eight years, shall attend
upon such instruction.
  Similar  courses  of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in
private schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools over  eight
years  of age shall attend upon such courses. If such courses are not so
established and maintained in a private school, attendance upon instruc-
tion in such school shall not  be  deemed  substantially  equivalent  to

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04040-01-1
              

A. 2434                             2

instruction  given  to  pupils  of like age in the public schools of the
city or district in which such pupils reside.
  3.  The  regents  shall  determine the subjects to be included in such
courses of instruction in  patriotism,  citizenship,  and  human  rights
issues,  with  particular  attention  to  the study of the inhumanity of
genocide, slavery (including the freedom  trail  and  underground  rail-
road),  the Holocaust, THE UKRAINIAN GENOCIDE-HOLODOMOR OF 1932 TO 1933,
and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, and in the  histo-
ry,  meaning, significance and effect of the provisions of the constitu-
tion of the United States, the amendments thereto,  the  declaration  of
independence,  the  constitution of the state of New York and the amend-
ments thereto, and the period of instruction in each of  the  grades  in
such subjects. They shall adopt rules providing for attendance upon such
instruction and for such other matters as are required for carrying into
effect  the objects and purposes of this section. The commissioner shall
be responsible for the enforcement of such section and shall cause to be
inspected and supervise the instruction to be given  in  such  subjects.
The  commissioner  may, in his discretion, cause all or a portion of the
public school money to be apportioned to a district or city to be  with-
held  for  failure of the school authorities of such district or city to
provide instruction in such courses and to compel attendance  upon  such
instruction,  as  herein  prescribed,  and for a non-compliance with the
rules of the regents adopted as herein provided.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.