NY State Senate Bill 2023-S873

Senate Bill S873

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to reading and posting in public schools excerpts of the writings and documents regarding American heritage

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to education
Jan 06, 2023	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2023-S873 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §801, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S1242
2019-2020: S242
2021-2022: S3631

2023-S873 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the regents to promulgate rules to allow and encourage the reading and posting in public schools excerpts of the writings and documents regarding American heritage.

2023-S873 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S873

SPONSOR: ORTT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to courses of instruction
in patriotism and citizenship and in certain historic documents

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation seems to promote awareness and inquiry among school
students of the writings and documents of America's forefathers as well
as current writings and documents by encouraging teachers to post
supplemental historical material in their classrooms and school build-
ings.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Adds a new subdivision 6 to S 801 of the education law to require the
regents to promulgate rules to allow school boards to allow and encour-
age teachers and administrators to read or post in a public school
building, classroom, or event excerpts or portions of various primary

source historical documents and writings. Such rules shall provide that
there shall be no content-based censorship of American history with
reference to these writings, documents and records.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Many of the state's school children lack knowledge and awareness of the
writings and documents of our forefathers and are not exposed to primary
source documents on various past and present civic affairs. A reliance
upon such documents will enable students to have a broader understanding
of the foundation of our form of government and institutions. In addi-
tion, it would provide a greater appreciation of why our government has
been the most successful and envied on earth.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.3631 of 2021/2022; Referred to Education

S.242 of 2019/20 Referred to Education

S.1242 of 2017/2018; Referred to Education Committee

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
First of September next succeeding.

2023-S873 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    873
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  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 courses of instruction
   in patriotism and citizenship and in certain historic documents
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature  hereby  finds and
 declares that exposure of students to primary  source  documents  giving
 record  of  American  history  and  heritage should be encouraged. It is
 important that the integrity of such historical documents be  maintained
 to  preclude  intentional  or  unintentional censorship of the writings,
 documents and records documenting American history and heritage.
   § 2. Section 801 of the education law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. THE REGENTS SHALL PROMULGATE RULES WHICH SHALL PERMIT THE BOARDS OF
 EDUCATION AND TRUSTEES OF THE SEVERAL CITIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF THE
 STATE  TO  ALLOW  AND ENCOURAGE ANY TEACHER OR ADMINISTRATOR IN A PUBLIC
 SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THIS STATE TO READ OR POST IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL  BUILD-
 ING,  CLASSROOM,  OR  EVENT  EXCERPTS OR PORTIONS OF THE PREAMBLE TO THE
 STATE CONSTITUTION OF NEW YORK; THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE;  THE
 CONSTITUTION  OF  THE UNITED STATES; THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT; THE NATIONAL
 MOTTO; THE NATIONAL ANTHEM; THE  PLEDGE  OF  ALLEGIANCE;  THE  WRITINGS,
 SPEECHES, DOCUMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND PRESI-
 DENTS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES; ORGANIC DOCUMENTS FROM THE PRE-COLONIAL,
 COLONIAL, REVOLUTIONARY, FEDERALIST, AND  POST-FEDERALIST  ERAS;  UNITED
 STATES  SUPREME  COURT  DECISIONS;  ACTS  OF  THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
 INCLUDING THE PUBLISHED TEXT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD; AND ANY  OTHER
 PRIMARY SOURCE OR HISTORIC DOCUMENT. SUCH RULES SHALL PROVIDE THAT THERE
 BE  NO  CONTENT BASED CENSORSHIP OF AMERICAN HISTORY OR HERITAGE IN THIS
 STATE WITH REFERENCE TO THESE WRITINGS, DOCUMENTS, AND RECORDS.
   § 3. This act shall  take  effect  on  the  first  of  September  next
 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective imme-
 diately,  any  rules necessary for the timely implementation of this act
 on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03719-01-3

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Senate Bill S873

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Sponsored By

Robert G. Ortt