S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8347--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             December 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. CRUZ -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Education  in  accord-
   ance  with  Assembly  Rule  3,  sec.  2  -- committee discharged, bill
   amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
   tee

 AN  ACT  to  amend the education law, in relation to requiring September
   eleventh awareness curriculum or instruction for school districts
 
   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 804-e
 to read as follows:
   § 804-E. SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH AWARENESS CURRICULUM  OR  INSTRUCTION.  1.
 THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH ANY APPROPRIATE AGENCY, SHALL
 ESTABLISH SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH (9/11) AWARENESS CURRICULUM OR  INSTRUCTION
 FOR  SCHOOL DISTRICTS REGARDING THE SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH, TWO THOUSAND ONE
 ATTACKS ON THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THEIR ONGOING REPERCUSSIONS.
 THE CONTENT OF SUCH CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION MAY BE VARIED TO MEET  THE
 NEEDS  OF PARTICULAR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OR PORTIONS THEREOF, AND NEED NOT
 BE UNIFORM THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
   2. THE CONTENT OF SUCH CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION SHALL BE  AGE  APPRO-
 PRIATE  AND  SHALL  BE DEVELOPED ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS AND ABILITIES OF
 PUPILS AT SUCCESSIVE GRADE LEVELS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE  SKILLS,  INFORMA-
 TION, AND GUIDANCE TO AID IN SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH AWARENESS.
   3.  THE  CONTENT  OF  THE  CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION SHALL INCLUDE THE
 FOLLOWING CORE TENETS AND THEMES:
   (A) ANTECEDENTS OF 9/11;
   (B) THE EVENTS OF THE DAY AND THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF THE ATTACKS;
   (C) THE RESPONSE BY FIRST RESPONDERS AND OTHER AGENCIES  ON  9/11  AND
 DURING  THE ENSUING RESCUE AND RECOVERY OPERATION WHICH LASTED UNTIL MAY
 THIRTIETH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13245-04-4
 A. 8347--A                          2
              

 
   (D) EXAMPLES OF HEROISM, RESILIENCE, AND SERVICE THAT  EMERGED  DURING
 AND AFTER 9/11 FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD;
   (E) THE GLOBAL RESPONSE TO TERRORISM FOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF 9/11; AND
   (F)  (I)  THE  ONGOING HEALTH CRISIS THAT EMERGED FROM TOXINS FOUND IN
 THE AIR AT GROUND ZERO AND THE HEALTH IMPACT THAT HAS AFFECTED  TENS  OF
 THOUSANDS  OF  LOCAL RESIDENTS, RESCUE AND RELIEF WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS
 AND THAT STILL IMPACT THIS COMMUNITY TODAY;
   (II) DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS MADE, THE  BALANCE  BETWEEN
 CIVIL  LIBERTIES  AND  NATIONAL  SECURITY AND THE ONGOING SOCIAL IMPACTS
 THAT CONTRIBUTED TO ISLAMOPHOBIA AND XENOPHOBIA,  RACISM  AND  RELIGIOUS
 INTOLERANCE, OCCURRING AFTER 9/11; AND
   (III)  ISLAMOPHOBIA  AND XENOPHOBIA, RACISM AND RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE,
 OCCURRING AFTER 9/11, THAT IMPACTED SOCIETAL PERCEPTIONS AND RESULTED IN
 DISCRIMINATION PERTAINING TO DOMESTIC  AND  FOREIGN  POLICY/LEGISLATION,
 COVERAGE  AND  REPRESENTATION  IN  THE  MEDIA,  AND SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
 IMPLICATIONS, ALONG WITH VARIOUS RESPONSES  IMPLEMENTED  TO  UNDERSTAND,
 CONFRONT AND COMBAT SUCH ISSUES.
   4.  THE  EDUCATIONAL  RESOURCES  USED IN THE CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION
 SHALL BE AGE APPROPRIATE, FACTUALLY  ACCURATE,  SOURCED  FROM  REPUTABLE
 SOURCES  SUCH AS THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM, AND AID IN
 STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HAPPENED ON 9/11 AND IN  ITS  AFTERMATH,
 AND THE CONTINUING IMPORTANCE OF THE ATTACKS TODAY.
   5.  SCHOOLS MAY INCLUDE THE CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION REQUIRED BY THIS
 SECTION AS A COMPONENT OF ITS SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM OR IN ANY  OTHER
 MANNER THE SCHOOL DEEMS APPROPRIATE.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date upon which it shall have become a law.  Effective  immediately,
 the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
 sary for the implementation of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.