NY State Senate Bill 2017-S4411

Archive: Last 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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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to education
Feb 14, 2017	referred to education

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§801 & 2, Ed L

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Adds the Armenian Genocide to the curriculum on patriotism, citizenship, and human rights issues for students over 8 years of age; defines key terms.

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S4411

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
adding the Armenian Genocide to the list of courses covered in
instruction of patriotism, citizenship and human rights issues

 PURPOSE :

This bill emphasizes education on the Armenian Genocide in New York's
public school system.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 subdivision 1 is amended to direct educators to consider
with particular attention the study of the inhumanity of genocide,
including the Armenian Genocide.

Section 1 subdivision 3 requires the regents to determine the subjects
to be .included in courses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship,
and human rights, with particular attention to the inhumanity of
genocide, including the Armenian Genocide.

Section 1 subdivision 6 prohibits the regents from approving any
course purporting to deny the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide.

Section 2 subdivision 25 defines "Armenian Genocide."

Section 2 subdivision 26 defines "Genocide."

Section 2 subdivision 27 defines "Holocaust."

Section 3 provides an effective date of July 1, 2018.

 JUSTIFICATION :

This bill seeks to educate New York's school children on the Armenian
Genocide of 1915-1923. Teaching the subject of genocide is an
essential aspect of a well-rounded education of history, human rights,
and citizenship. This is because study of human rights abuses and
genocide reaffirms principles of freedom for all nations and people,
and serves to prevent the occurrence of further genocide in the
future. As such, genocide education is a strong deterrent to
indifference, and the perpetuation of crimes against humanity and
human suffering in general.

Therefore, it is crucial that no instance of genocide be omitted from
New York's curriculum for purely political reasons. In order serve the
purposes of providing a truly well-rounded education to New York
school children, it is necessary that The Regents of the University of
the State of New York prescribe courses of instruction in human rights
issues, of which the Armenian Genocide should be included.

Additionally, it is equally important that the regents prohibit those
courses which would deny the existence of genocide in the past, such
as Holocaust denial or the denial of Armenian human rights abuses.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill.

 BUDGET IMPLICATIONS :

None noted.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act would take effect July 1, 2018.

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4411
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 14, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  AVELLA -- 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  adding  the  Armenian
   Genocide  to the list of courses covered in instruction of patriotism,
   citizenship and human rights issues

   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  and  a  new
 subdivision 6 is added 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 (INCLUDING THE ARMENIAN
 GENOCIDE), slavery (including the freedom trail  and  underground  rail-
 road),  the  Holocaust,  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.
   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 (INCLUDING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE), slavery (including the free-
 dom trail and underground railroad), the Holocaust, and the mass starva-
 tion  in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, and in the history, meaning, signif-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD06810-01-7

 S. 4411                             2
 
 icance and effect of the provisions of the constitution  of  the  United
 States,  the  amendments  thereto,  the declaration of independence, the
 constitution of the state of New York and the  amendments  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 withheld for failure
 of the school authorities of such district or city to  provide  instruc-
 tion  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.
   6.  THE REGENTS SHALL NOT APPROVE ANY COURSE THAT PURPORTS TO DENY THE
 OCCURRENCE OF THE HOLOCAUST AND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AS DEFINED IN  SECTION
 TWO OF THIS TITLE.
   §  2.  Section  2  of the education law is amended by adding three new
 subdivisions 25, 26 and 27 to read as follows:
   25. ARMENIAN GENOCIDE. THE TERM "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" MEANS THE  SYSTEM-
 ATIC,  BUREAUCRATIC,  STATE-SPONSORED PERSECUTION AND MURDER OF APPROXI-
 MATELY ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ARMENIANS BY THE OTTOMAN  TURK-
 ISH EMPIRE AND ITS COLLABORATORS.
   26.  GENOCIDE.  THE  TERM  "GENOCIDE"  MEANS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ACTS
 COMMITTED WITH THE INTENT TO DESTROY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART,  A  NATIONAL,
 ETHNIC,  RACIAL,  OR  RELIGIOUS  GROUP,  SUCH AS: KILLING MEMBERS OF THE
 GROUP; CAUSING SERIOUS BODILY OR MENTAL HARM TO MEMBERS  OF  THE  GROUP;
 DELIBERATELY INFLICTING CONDITIONS OF LIFE CALCULATED TO BRING ABOUT ITS
 DESTRUCTION  IN  WHOLE OR IN PART; IMPOSING MEASURES INTENDED TO PREVENT
 BIRTHS WITHIN THE GROUP; OR FORCIBLY TRANSFERRING CHILDREN OF THE  GROUP
 TO ANOTHER GROUP.
   27.  HOLOCAUST. THE TERM "HOLOCAUST" MEANS THE SYSTEMATIC, BUREAUCRAT-
 IC, STATE-SPONSORED PERSECUTION AND MURDER OF APPROXIMATELY SIX  MILLION
 JEWISH  PEOPLE AND FIVE MILLION OTHER INDIVIDUALS BY THE NAZI REGIME AND
 ITS COLLABORATORS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.

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Senate Bill S4411

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Tony Avella

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Actions

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S4411 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments