Assembly Bill A5642

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5642
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 14, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. KAVANAGH, COLTON, RIVERA, LUPARDO, TITONE, PERRY,
   THIELE, SEPULVEDA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. FINCH, McKEVITT --
   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-
 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.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02837-01-7

 A. 5642                             2
 
   § 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.
   §  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.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.