The New York State Senate

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

                                 5159--A

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 7, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of A. ARROYO, RAMOS, D'URSO, GLICK, DICKENS, DAVILA,
  BRONSON, PICHARDO, FERNANDEZ, STIRPE,  SIMON,  EPSTEIN,  BLAKE,  CRUZ,
  M. G. MILLER,  RIVERA,  DeSTEFANO,  ORTIZ, JEAN-PIERRE, SCHMITT, FAHY,
  TITUS, SAYEGH, WILLIAMS, RAYNOR -- Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.  of  A.
  DE LA ROSA  -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education --
  committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
  recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing an educa-
  tional  program  related  to  the  prevention  of sexual harassment in
  schools

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

  Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 57 to read as follows:
  57.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, AND
SUBJECT TO AN APPROPRIATION,  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  CONTRACT  WITH  AN
OUTSIDE  ENTITY  WHO  HAS  EXPERTISE  IN  SEXUAL  HARASSMENT TRAINING IN
SCHOOLS TO  ESTABLISH  A  SEXUAL  HARASSMENT  PREVENTION  AND  EDUCATION
PROGRAM  OVERSEEN  BY  SUCH DEPARTMENT. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL WORK WITH
SUCH OUTSIDE ENTITY, TO ESTABLISH AND  DEVELOP  AN  EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAM
WITHIN SUCH DEPARTMENT RELATED TO THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN
GRADES  KINDERGARTEN  THROUGH  TWELVE.  SUCH  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE FURTHER
DEFINED BY SUCH COMMISSIONER IN REGULATION  AND  SHALL  BE  DESIGNED  TO
EDUCATE  STUDENTS,  PARENTS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL ABOUT THE PREVENTION OF
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOLS. SUCH COMMISSIONER, IN  COLLABORATION  WITH
ANY  OTHER  STAKEHOLDER  GROUPS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY SUCH COMMISSIONER,
SHALL DEVELOP:
  A. THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION AND EDUCATION PROGRAM PREPARED  BY
AN  OUTSIDE  EXPERT  ORGANIZATION  INTO AGE-APPROPRIATE MODEL CURRICULUM
RESOURCES, INCLUDING EXEMPLAR LESSON PLANS, AND BEST  PRACTICE  INSTRUC-
TIONAL  RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL DESIGNED TO

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

                                                           LBD09033-03-9

A. 5159--A                          2

PREVENT SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOLS. SUCH MODEL CURRICULUM,  RESOURCES,
LESSON PLANS AND INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMIT-
ED TO GUIDELINES AND METHODS OF PREVENTION, INDICATORS AND WARNING SIGNS
OF  SEXUAL  HARASSMENT, GUIDELINES AND METHODS TO PREVENT SEXUAL HARASS-
MENT AND HOW TO REPORT COMPLAINTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOLS.  SUCH
MODEL CURRICULUM SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO SCHOOL BOARDS, SCHOOL SUPER-
INTENDENTS, THEIR EQUIVALENTS, AND TEACHERS FOR VOLUNTARY IMPLEMENTATION
IN HEALTH EDUCATION CLASSES AND IN HEALTH EDUCATION COURSEWORK;
  B. INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS AND  SCHOOL
PERSONNEL,  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE  UPDATED  INFORMATION ON HOW TO REPORT
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOLS, WITH A REVIEW OF SUCH INFORMATION TO OCCUR
PERIODICALLY, AT INTERVALS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY SUCH COMMISSIONER; AND
  C. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF ALL MATERIALS RELATED TO THE SEXUAL  HARASS-
MENT  EDUCATION PROGRAM ON SUCH DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE IN SPANISH, CREOLE,
MANDARIN, KOREAN, BENGALI AND ANY OTHER LANGUAGE PREDOMINANTLY SPOKEN BY
THE POPULATION OF THE STATE.
  § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
to be made and completed on or before such effective date.