Assembly Bill A427

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Relates to instruction in the humane treatment of animals and the requirement of training in the humane treatment of animals for the certification of teachers

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly 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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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to education
Jan 07, 2009	referred to education

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2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:: S3177
Current Committee:: Assembly Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§809 & 3004, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: A5962
2013-2014: A2484
2015-2016: A5861
2017-2018: A5642

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to classroom instruction in the humane treatment of animals and the requirement of training in the humane treatment of animals for the certification or licensing of classroom teachers, teaching assistants, pupil personnel service professionals, school administrators or supervisors or superintendents of schools.

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:A427

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to class-
room instruction in the humane treatment of animals and the requirement
of training in the humane treatment of animals for the certification or
licensing of classroom teachers, teaching assistants, pupil personnel
service professionals, school administrators or supervisors or super-
intendents of schools

PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this bill is to strengthen compliance
with the humane education mandate in Section 809 of the NYS Education
Law, to allow the commissioner to provide grants to teachers for
expenses incurred in complying with the mandate, and to increase teacher
training in humane education instruction.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends Section 809 of the NYS Education Law requiring the
Education Department Commissioner to notify every school district of the
humane education mandate.

Section 2: Authorizes the Commissioner to appropriate grants to teachers
for training, workshops, videos, and other resources used for humane
education instruction.

Section 3: Requires that all persons applying for a teaching certificate

or license complete two hours of course work or training in humane
education instruction. The course work or training can be provided by
educational institutions, school districts, boards of cooperative educa-
tional services, humane education organizations or animal welfare organ-
izations.

JUSTIFICATION:

There is a growing movement among educators and administrators to
include character and humane education in their school curriculum as a
way to teach students tolerance, compassion and responsibility, and to
help them develop critical thinking and decision-making skills. As a
result, New York State created a mandate in which publicly-funded
elementary schools provide instruction on the humane treatment and
protection of animals. However, many schools fail to follow this
requirement, even though noncompliance technically prohibits school
districts from receiving any public school money. This legislation
addresses the matter in two ways; by requiring the State to notify
school districts of the mandate, and by providing for teacher training
on the humane treatment of animals. Similar humane education legislation
has already been passed in Illinois, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon
and Pennsylvania.

The legislation calls for a memorandum issued by the NYS Education
Department to all school districts in New York State notifying adminis-

trators of the statute and directs school districts to have their teach-
ers act in accordance with this requirement.

Moreover, the legislation provides for the training and instruction in
the humane treatment of animals. The instruction for teachers, teaching
assistants, administrators and other education professionals will
produce higher student understanding of human rights, animal welfare,
environmental protection, and other societal issues. Overall, instruc-
tion in the humane treatment of animals significantly benefits students.
A recent study by Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART)
showed a positive correlation between their in-class instructional
program on humane and character education and the increase in student
knowledge of issues such as the condition of child factory workers, the
needs of wild animals and the greenhouse effect. Students also demon-
strated an increased concern for animals and the environment as well as
an increased interest in joining a group to help animals or the environ-
ment.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  2008; A10344 (Kavanagh) - Education

FISCAL IMPACT ON THE STATE: Minimal.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                   427

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. KAVANAGH, BENJAMIN, COLTON, EDDINGTON, LUPARDO,
  MAYERSOHN, MILLMAN, PERRY, PHEFFER, J. RIVERA, SPANO, TITONE,  ALFANO,
  ERRIGO,  THIELE,  WALKER  --  Multi-Sponsored  by -- M. of A. BOYLAND,
  CLARK, ESPAILLAT, FINCH, MARKEY, McENENY, McKEVITT,  STIRPE,  TOBACCO,
  TOWNSEND,  WEISENBERG  --  read  once and referred to the Committee on
  Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to classroom  instruction
  in  the humane treatment of animals and the requirement of training in
  the humane treatment of animals for the certification or licensing  of
  classroom  teachers,  teaching  assistants,  pupil  personnel  service
  professionals, school administrators or supervisors or superintendents
  of schools

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

  Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section  809 of the education law, as
amended by chapter 542 of the laws  of  1994,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  1.  The  officer,  board  or  commission  authorized  or  required  to
prescribe courses of instruction shall cause instruction to be given  in
every elementary school under state control or supported wholly or part-
ly  by public money of the state, in the humane treatment and protection
of animals and the importance of the part they play in  the  economy  of
nature  as  well  as  the  necessity of controlling the proliferation of
animals which are subsequently abandoned and caused  to  suffer  extreme
cruelty.  Such  instruction shall be for such period of time during each
school year as the board of regents may prescribe and may be joined with
work in literature, reading, language, nature study or  ethnology.  Such
weekly instruction may be divided into two or more periods.  THE COMMIS-
SIONER  SHALL NOTIFY EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE
SUCH INSTRUCTION AND SHALL DIRECT EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ACT IN ACCORD-

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

                                                           LBD01009-01-9

A. 427                              2

ANCE WITH THIS REQUIREMENT. A school district shall not be  entitled  to
participate  in  the public school money on account of any school or the
attendance at any school subject to the provisions of this  section,  if
the instruction required hereby is not given therein.
  S  2.  Subdivision 6 of section 809 of the education law is renumbered
subdivision 7 and a new subdivision 6 is added to read as follows:
  6. TO THE EXTENT MONEYS ARE APPROPRIATED  THEREFOR,  THE  COMMISSIONER
SHALL PROVIDE GRANTS TO TEACHERS FOR ANY EXPENSES INCURRED FOR TRAINING,
WORKSHOPS,  TRAINING  VIDEOS, WEBCASTS AND ANY OTHER RESOURCES WHICH ARE
USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF COMPLYING WITH THIS SECTION.
  S 3. Section 3004 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
  3-A.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE REGULATIONS REQUIRING THAT ALL
PERSONS APPLYING ON OR AFTER THE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTIETH  DAY  AFTER  THIS
SUBDIVISION  TAKES EFFECT FOR A TEACHING CERTIFICATE OR LICENSE, INCLUD-
ING BUT NOT LIMITED TO A CERTIFICATE OR LICENSE VALID FOR SERVICE  AS  A
CLASSROOM  TEACHER,  TEACHING ASSISTANT, PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICE PROFES-
SIONAL, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR OR SUPERVISOR OR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS,
SHALL, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE OTHER CERTIFICATION OR LICENSING  REQUIRE-
MENTS,  HAVE  COMPLETED TWO HOURS OF COURSE WORK OR TRAINING IN INSTRUC-
TION IN THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS AND THE  PREVENTION  AND  INTER-
VENTION OF ANIMAL CRUELTY. THE COURSE WORK OR TRAINING SHALL BE OBTAINED
FROM  AN  INSTITUTION OR PROVIDER WHICH HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE DEPART-
MENT TO PROVIDE SUCH COURSE WORK OR TRAINING. SUCH COURSE WORK OR TRAIN-
ING MAY BE  PROVIDED  BY  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS,  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS,
BOARDS  OF  COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, HUMANE EDUCATION ORGANIZA-
TIONS OR ANIMAL  WELFARE  ORGANIZATIONS.  SUCH  REGULATIONS  SHALL  ALSO
REQUIRE  THAT  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  AND  BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL
SERVICES INCLUDE TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND OTHER CERTIFIED  OR  LICENSED
EMPLOYEES  IN  THE  HUMANE  TREATMENT  OF ANIMALS AND THE PREVENTION AND
INTERVENTION OF ANIMAL CRUELTY, IN THEIR REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL  DEVELOP-
MENT PLANS.
  S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Assembly Bill A427

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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co-Sponsors

multi-Sponsors

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

KAVANAGH

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

Michael Benjamin

William Colton

Donna Lupardo

Nettie Mayersohn

multi-Sponsors

William Boyland

Barbara Clark

Adriano Espaillat

Gary Finch

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-A427 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments