NY State Senate Bill 2021-S3407

Senate Bill S3407

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires school boards of school districts with race-based mascots to, at least once annually, dedicate a portion of a meeting of such school board to the discussion of racial sensitivity

download bill text pdf

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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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to education
Jan 29, 2021	referred to education

2021-S3407 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §2002-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: S8708

2021-S3407 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires school boards of school districts with race-based mascots to, at least once annually, dedicate a portion of a meeting of such school board to the discussion of racial sensitivity.

2021-S3407 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S3407

SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring school
boards of school districts with race-based mascots to, at least once
annually, dedicate a portion of a meeting of such school board to the
discussion of racial sensitivity

 
PURPOSE:

This bill seeks to require school boards of school districts with race-
based mascots to, at least once annually, discuss racial sensitivity
during such school board meeting.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Section 2002-a of the education law is amended by requiring
that any school board of a school district that has a race-based mascot
dedicates, at least once annually, a portion of a meeting of such school

board discussion of racial sensitivity. This requirement shall be indef-
inite until a school district dissociates completely with such race-
based mascot. Additionally, this section defines race-based mascots.

Section 2. States the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In light of recent events, the call to remove race-based mascots from
schools has once again become the topic of discussion. This bill defines
race-based as any person, animal or object used to represent a school
district which is derived from a specific race or ethnicity or is based
on certain characteristics of a specific race or ethnicity. Unfortunate-
ly, due to the popularity of these mascots within their communities of
fans and alumni, school districts are reluctant to disassociate them-
selves. This legislation seeks to encourage school boards of school
districts with race-based mascots, to engage in discussions with their
communities regarding racial sensitivity.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S3407 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3407
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 29, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- 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  requiring  school
   boards  of  school districts with race-based mascots to, at least once
   annually, dedicate a portion of a meeting of such school board to  the
   discussion of racial sensitivity
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 2002-a
 to read as follows:
   § 2002-A. SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  WITH  RACE-BASED  MASCOTS;  SCHOOL  BOARD
 DISCUSSION  OF  RACIAL  SENSITIVITY.  1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, "RACE-
 BASED MASCOT" SHALL MEAN ANY PERSON, ANIMAL OR OBJECT USED TO  REPRESENT
 A  SCHOOL DISTRICT WHICH IS DERIVED FROM A SPECIFIC RACE OR ETHNICITY OR
 IS BASED ON CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF A SPECIFIC RACE OR ETHNICITY.
   2. ANY SCHOOL BOARD OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT WITHIN  THE  STATE  THAT  HAS
 ADOPTED  A  RACE-BASED MASCOT AND WHERE SUCH MASCOT IS USED TO REPRESENT
 SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLICLY OR PRIVATELY, SHALL, AT LEAST ONCE ANNUAL-
 LY, HAVE ONE PUBLIC MEETING AND DEDICATE A PORTION OF  SUCH  MEETING  OF
 SUCH  SCHOOL  BOARD  TO  THE  DISCUSSION  OF  RACIAL SENSITIVITY.   SUCH
 REQUIREMENT SHALL BE INDEFINITE UNTIL A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  DISASSOCIATES
 COMPLETELY WITH SUCH RACE-BASED MASCOT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04157-01-1

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