Assembly Bill A120

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    120
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. ROSENTHAL, RIVERA -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to direct the commissioner of education to appoint a media liter-
   acy advisory group to study the teaching of media literacy

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. For purposes of this act, "media literacy" shall be consid-
 ered  a  broad term that encompasses consumption and production of media
 and digital products and is defined as the ability to  access,  analyze,
 evaluate,  act  and  create  with all forms of communication, and encom-
 passes the foundational skills of digital citizenship and internet safe-
 ty including the norms of appropriate,  responsible,  healthy  behavior,
 and cyberbullying prevention. "Digital citizenship" shall mean a diverse
 set  of skills related to current technology and social media, including
 the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior and  focuses
 on  empowering learners to use online resources, applications and spaces
 to improve communities and curate a positive and effective digital foot-
 print.
   § 2. The commissioner of education, in  cooperation  with  experts  in
 media  literacy,  the  board  of  regents, the state university board of
 trustees,  and  stakeholders  including  educators  and  parents,  shall
 appoint a media literacy advisory group ("group") to conduct a survey on
 the  current  status  of library media instruction.  The commissioner of
 education shall serve as chair of the group.  Such group  shall  consist
 of nine members other than the commissioner.  Three members of the group
 shall  be  staff from school library systems, three members of the group
 shall be staff from school libraries, and three  members  of  the  group
 shall be staff from higher education institutions that offer library and
 information  studies programs.  Each of the aforementioned members shall

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00627-01-5
              

 A. 120                              2
 
 possess a New York state public librarian certification  and  a  masters
 degree in library sciences, or the equivalent experience.
   §  3.  The  group  shall  survey  each school district in the state to
 determine the media literacy practices of and the current media literacy
 resources available to each district. The survey shall include a  check-
 list  of  items  for school districts to consider when updating policies
 and procedures.  The survey shall also  inquire  of  teacher-librarians,
 principals, and technology directors to understand how they are current-
 ly integrating digital citizenship and media literacy education in their
 curriculum.
   §  4.  The  group  shall  make a report of its findings, including any
 recommendations for legislative action as  it  may  deem  necessary  and
 appropriate, best practices for instruction that provides guidance about
 thoughtful, safe, and strategic uses of online and other media resources
 and  education  on  how to apply critical thinking skills when consuming
 and producing media in any form. These recommendations  and  best  prac-
 tices may include, but are not limited to:
   (a) revisions to state education standards and the state instructional
 technology plan;
   (b)  revisions to policies and procedures on media literacy, including
 digital citizenship and internet safety;
   (c) school district processes necessary to develop  customized  school
 district  policies  and  procedures on electronic resources and internet
 safety that can be used within a school  district  technology  plan  and
 strategies that will support school districts in local implementation of
 best  practices,  and  recommendations developed by the group, including
 strategies for delivering  professional  development  to  educators  and
 administrators.  Such  processes and strategies shall include, but shall
 not be limited to, the development of model media literacy standards;
   (d) best practices, resources, and models  for  instruction  in  media
 literacy; and
   (e)  best  practices, resources, and models for instruction of digital
 citizenship, including media  literacy,  that  are  compliant  with  the
 federal universal service e-rate program administered by the schools and
 libraries  division  of the universal service administrative company and
 federal  mandates  established  in  the  federal   children's   internet
 protection act.
   § 5. The department shall publish best practices and resources regard-
 ing  proper  and  effective  research, social media etiquette, financial
 literacy, data use, and other aspects of digital citizenship.
   § 6. The report required by section four of this act shall  be  deliv-
 ered  to  the  governor,  the  temporary president of the senate and the
 speaker of the assembly no later than one year after the effective  date
 of this act. Such report shall be published on the department's website.
   § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.