S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2727
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 22, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced   by  Sens.  KAMINSKY,  ADDABBO,  BIAGGI,  BROOKS,  GAUGHRAN,
   GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN,  JACKSON,  KAPLAN,  KRUEGER,  LIU,  MAYER,  MYRIE,
   PERSAUD,  SALAZAR,  SANDERS, SKOUFIS, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Educa-
   tion
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction
   regarding symbols of hate
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  findings.  The  legislature hereby finds the
 recent spike in hate crimes across our state and nation as a whole to be
 highly disturbing and a societal epidemic in need of remedy. As many  of
 our youth are not aware of the hateful connotations behind swastikas and
 nooses, it is necessary for the legislature to mandate compulsory educa-
 tion  in all schools across our great state in regard to the meanings of
 these two symbols of hate. Requiring students be educated in the signif-
 icance of these displays of bigotry will go a long way toward  fostering
 a more inclusive and tolerant society for all.
   §  2.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 801-b to
 read as follows:
   § 801-B. INSTRUCTION REGARDING SYMBOLS  OF  HATE.  THE  REGENTS  SHALL
 ENSURE  THAT  THE  COURSE  OF  INSTRUCTION FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH TWELVE
 INCLUDES A COMPONENT ON THE MEANING OF THE SWASTIKA  AS  THE  EMBLEM  OF
 NAZI  GERMANY,  AS  WELL  AS  THE NOOSE AS A SYMBOL OF RACISM AND INTIM-
 IDATION. THE REGENTS SHALL DETERMINE HOW TO INCORPORATE SUCH  COMPONENTS
 INTO EXISTING CURRICULA, AND THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE ANY REGU-
 LATIONS NEEDED TO CARRY OUT SUCH DETERMINATION OF THE REGENTS.
   §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect  on  the first of September next
 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01151-01-1