Assembly Bill A2511

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2511
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 19, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. STERN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing an educa-
   tional program related to the prevention of anti-Semitism,  Islamopho-
   bia  bias  and  discrimination  based on religion, race, sexual orien-
   tation or gender identity or expression

   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 59 to read as follows:
   59.  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 THE PREVENTION OF ANTI-SEMITISM,
 ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION BASED  ON  RELIGION,  RACE,  SEXUAL
 ORIENTATION  OR GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION TO ESTABLISH AN ANTI-SEMI-
 TISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS  AND  DISCRIMINATION  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 ANTI-SEMITISM,
 ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION BASED  ON  RELIGION,  RACE,  SEXUAL
 ORIENTATION  OR  GENDER  IDENTITY  OR  EXPRESSION IN GRADES KINDERGARTEN
 THROUGH TWELVE. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL BE FURTHER DEFINED  BY  SUCH  COMMIS-
 SIONER  IN REGULATION AND SHALL BE DESIGNED TO EDUCATE STUDENTS, PARENTS
 AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL ABOUT THE PREVENTION OF ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA
 BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL  ORIENTATION  OR
 GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION.  SUCH COMMISSIONER, IN COLLABORATION WITH
 ANY  OTHER  STAKEHOLDER  GROUPS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY SUCH COMMISSIONER,
 SHALL DEVELOP:
   A. THE ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION  PREVENTION
 AND  EDUCATION  PROGRAM  PREPARED BY AN OUTSIDE EXPERT ORGANIZATION INTO
 AGE-APPROPRIATE MODEL CURRICULUM RESOURCES,  INCLUDING  EXEMPLAR  LESSON
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01817-01-1

 A. 2511                             2
 
 PLANS,  AND  BEST PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS
 AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL DESIGNED  TO  PREVENT  ANTI-SEMITISM,  ISLAMOPHOBIA
 BIAS  AND  DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR
 GENDER  IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION. SUCH MODEL CURRICULUM, RESOURCES, LESSON
 PLANS AND INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO
 GUIDELINES  AND  METHODS  OF PREVENTION, INDICATORS AND WARNING SIGNS OF
 ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION BASED  ON  RELIGION,
 RACE,  SEXUAL  ORIENTATION  OR GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, GUIDELINES
 AND METHODS TO PREVENT ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA  BIAS  AND  DISCRIMI-
 NATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY OR
 EXPRESSION  AND  HOW TO REPORT COMPLAINTS OF ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA
 BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL  ORIENTATION  OR
 GENDER  IDENTITY  OR  EXPRESSION.    SUCH MODEL CURRICULUM SHALL BE MADE
 AVAILABLE TO SCHOOL BOARDS, SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS,  THEIR  EQUIVALENTS,
 AND  TEACHERS FOR VOLUNTARY IMPLEMENTATION IN SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES AND
 IN SOCIAL STUDIES COURSEWORK;
   B. INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS AND  SCHOOL
 PERSONNEL,  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE  UPDATED  INFORMATION ON HOW TO REPORT
 INCIDENTS OF ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND  DISCRIMINATION  BASED
 ON  RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION,
 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 ANTI-SEMITISM,
 ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION PREVENTION AND 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.