Assembly Bill A11601

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   11601
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 5, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Blumencranz)
   -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
 
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a veter-
   ans remembrance  civic  engagement  requirement  for  graduation  from
   public high schools in New York state
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "never forgotten act".
   §  2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 320 to read
 as follows:
   § 320. VETERANS REMEMBRANCE CIVIC  ENGAGEMENT  REQUIREMENT.  1.    (A)
 BEGINNING  WITH  STUDENTS  ENTERING  THE NINTH GRADE IN THE TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY-SEVEN--TWO THOUSAND  TWENTY-EIGHT  ACADEMIC  YEAR,  EACH  STUDENT
 ENROLLED  IN A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN THE STATE SHALL, AS A CONDITION
 OF GRADUATION, COMPLETE A VETERANS REMEMBRANCE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT REQUIRE-
 MENT.
   (B) THE REQUIREMENT SHALL CONSIST OF PARTICIPATION  IN  AT  LEAST  ONE
 APPROVED ACTIVITY DESIGNED TO HONOR, PRESERVE, OR MAINTAIN THE MEMORY OF
 DECEASED VETERANS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
   2. APPROVED ACTIVITIES SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A)  THE CARE, CLEANING, BEAUTIFICATION, OR MAINTENANCE OF A VETERAN'S
 GRAVESITE LOCATED WITHIN:
   (I) A MUNICIPAL, COUNTY, RELIGIOUS, OR PRIVATE CEMETERY LOCATED IN NEW
 YORK STATE;
   (II) THE NEW YORK STATE VETERANS CEMETERY; AND
   (III) A CEMETERY ADMINISTERED  BY  THE  UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF
 VETERANS AFFAIRS OR THE NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION;
   (B)  PLACEMENT OF FLAGS, FLOWERS, WREATHS, OR COMMEMORATIVE MARKERS AT
 VETERANS' GRAVESITES DURING APPROVED REMEMBRANCE EVENTS;
   (C) PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZED VETERANS CEMETERY STEWARDSHIP  PROGRAMS
 APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16051-01-6
 A. 11601                            2
              

 
   (D)  RESEARCHING  AND  PRESENTING THE LIFE STORY, MILITARY SERVICE, OR
 HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF A DECEASED VETERAN ASSOCIATED WITH A GRAVES-
 ITE MAINTAINED BY THE STUDENT; AND
   (E)  PARTICIPATION IN MEMORIAL RESTORATION, VETERANS REMEMBRANCE CERE-
 MONIES, OR  APPROVED  CIVIC  EDUCATION  PROJECTS  RELATING  TO  MILITARY
 SERVICE AND SACRIFICE.
   3.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL REQUIRE THAT PARTICIPATING STUDENTS RECEIVE
 INSTRUCTION CONCERNING:
   (A) THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MILITARY SERVICE;
   (B) CIVIC DUTY AND CITIZENSHIP;
   (C) THE SACRIFICES OF VETERANS AND FALLEN SERVICE MEMBERS; AND
   (D) RESPECTFUL TREATMENT OF VETERANS' MEMORIALS AND BURIAL SITES.
   4. SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE AUTHORIZED AND ENCOURAGED TO  ESTABLISH  PART-
 NERSHIPS WITH:
   (A) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS;
   (B) LOCAL AMERICAN LEGION POSTS;
   (C) LOCAL VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS POSTS;
   (D) CEMETERY ASSOCIATIONS;
   (E) COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE AGENCIES;
   (F) THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES;
   (G) THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS; AND
   (H)  OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN VETERANS REMEMBRANCE AND
 MEMORIAL PRESERVATION.
   5. (A) STUDENTS  WITH  DISABILITIES,  MEDICAL  LIMITATIONS,  RELIGIOUS
 OBJECTIONS,  OR  OTHER  DOCUMENTED HARDSHIPS PREVENTING PARTICIPATION IN
 PHYSICAL GRAVESITE STEWARDSHIP SHALL  BE  PROVIDED  REASONABLE  ACCOMMO-
 DATIONS OR ALTERNATIVE REMEMBRANCE PROJECTS.
   (B)  ALTERNATIVE  PROJECTS  MAY  INCLUDE ORAL HISTORIES WITH VETERANS,
 MEMORIAL RESEARCH, DIGITAL REMEMBRANCE  PROJECTS,  OR  OTHER  ACTIVITIES
 APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   6.  (A)  NO  STUDENT  SHALL BE REQUIRED TO INCUR PERSONAL EXPENSE AS A
 CONDITION OF SATISFYING THIS REQUIREMENT.
   (B) SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ENSURE EQUITABLE
 ACCESS TO APPROVED OPPORTUNITIES.
   7. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK  STATE  DEPART-
 MENT  OF  VETERANS' SERVICES, SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING  STANDARDS  FOR  PARTICIPATION
 VERIFICATION AND APPROVED ACTIVITIES.
   §  3. The commissioner of education, in consultation with the New York
 state department of veterans' services, shall develop guidance materials
 and implementation recommendations for school districts  no  later  than
 one year after the effective date of this act.
   §  4.  Nothing  in  this  act  shall  be  construed to prohibit school
 districts from exceeding the  minimum  requirements  established  herein
 through expanded civic engagement or veterans remembrance programs.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.