S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1378--A
     Cal. No. 1522
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  SERRANO, ADDABBO, COMRIE, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON,
   LIU, MAY, MAYER, ORTT, C. RYAN,  SALAZAR,  SANDERS,  TEDISCO  --  read
   twice  and  ordered  printed,  and when printed to be committed to the
   Committee on  Cultural  Affairs,  Tourism,  Parks  and  Recreation  --
   reported  favorably from said committee and committed to the Committee
   on Finance -- committee discharged and  said  bill  committed  to  the
   Committee  on  Rules  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the arts  and  cultural  affairs  law,  in  relation  to
   providing  financial  assistance  to museums, zoos, botanical gardens,
   aquariums and other cultural institutions located in low-income urban,
   suburban or rural communities, or that provide educational services to
   students from such communities
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Statement of legislative findings and intent. The legisla-
 ture finds and declares that the state of  New  York  is  home  to  vast
 educational  resources in museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical
 gardens, aquaria and cultural arts institutions that offer a  wealth  of
 ways to engage children and adults and instill in them a lasting love of
 learning.
   The  legislature  finds that over 1,500 museums, historical societies,
 zoos, botanical gardens, aquaria and cultural arts institutions in  this
 state  now  provide  instruction  to over six million children, and that
 children in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve and  adults  enrolled
 in  continuing  education programs should have broad and equal access to
 such services.
   The legislature further finds  that  community  cultural  arts  insti-
 tutions, in collaboration with teachers and schools, must design new and
 innovative  programs  to  engage  learners  in  such  pressing issues as
 science, anthropology, history and arts literacy.

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

                                                            LBD03063-02-5
 S. 1378--A                          2
 
   It is the intent of the legislature that the state  provide  financial
 assistance  to cultural arts institutions serving under-resourced urban,
 suburban or rural communities to  expand  educational  services  through
 access  to  museum  collections,  scholarship  and  virtual learning and
 extend their uniquely valuable educational resources to the children and
 lifelong learners of the state.
   §  2.  Short  title.  This  act shall be known and may be cited as the
 "museum education act".
   § 3. The arts and cultural affairs law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 61.15 to read as follows:
   §  61.15. EDUCATION GRANTS FOR MUSEUMS. 1.  THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCA-
 TION SHALL DEVELOP AND  IMPLEMENT,  WITH  CONSULTATION  AND  INPUT  FROM
 REPRESENTATIVES  FROM  THE  MUSEUM AND CULTURAL INSTITUTION COMMUNITY, A
 MUSEUM AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION  EDUCATION  GRANT  PROGRAM,  AND  SHALL
 AWARD,  WITHIN  THE  AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FROM THE GENERAL FUND FOR SUCH
 PURPOSE, COMPETITIVE GRANTS IN ACCORDANCE  WITH  THIS  SECTION  FOR  THE
 PURPOSE  OF  ESTABLISHING OR IMPROVING EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MUSEUMS AND
 CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC
 AND NONPUBLIC ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE  AND  SECONDARY  SCHOOLS.  SUCH  GRANTS
 SHALL BE EXPENDED TO SUPPORT THE PRODUCTION OF CURRICULA, ACQUISITION OF
 SPECIALIZED  EDUCATIONAL  OR INTERPRETIVE SKILLS, ACQUISITION AND IMPLE-
 MENTATION OF TECHNOLOGY, AND PREPARATION OF  SPECIALIZED  EXHIBITION  OR
 PUBLIC  PROGRAMS  THAT  ARE TAILORED TO ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND SECONDARY
 SCHOOL STUDENTS; THE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY  OF  CONTINUING  EDUCATION
 PROGRAMS;  PROVISION  OF STUDENT TRANSPORTATION; AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT
 SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY  OF  CURRICULUM-BASED  PROGRAMS  IN
 MUSEUMS WITH COLLECTIONS.
   2.  AS  USED IN THIS SECTION, "ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION" SHALL MEAN: (A) A
 NONPROFIT INSTITUTION CHARTERED BY THE BOARD OF  REGENTS,  OR  OTHERWISE
 INCORPORATED AS A MUSEUM, HISTORICAL SOCIETY, NATURE CENTER, ZOO, BOTAN-
 ICAL  GARDEN,  ARBORETUM,  AQUARIUM OR OTHER CULTURAL EDUCATION INSTITU-
 TION, OR A PRIVATELY OR MUNICIPALLY OPERATED INSTITUTION THAT MEETS  THE
 APPLICABLE  REGISTRATION  STANDARDS  ESTABLISHED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS
 FOR MUSEUMS OR  HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES  WITH  COLLECTIONS,  AND  THAT  IS
 LOCATED  IN  A LOW-INCOME URBAN, SUBURBAN OR RURAL COMMUNITY OR PROVIDES
 EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO STUDENTS  AND  ADULT  LEARNERS  FROM  LOW-INCOME
 URBAN,  SUBURBAN  OR  RURAL  COMMUNITIES;  (B)  A MUSEUM AUTHORIZED BY A
 SPECIAL CHARTER FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF THIS STATE AND THAT  IS  LOCATED
 IN  A  LOW-INCOME  URBAN, SUBURBAN OR RURAL COMMUNITY OR PROVIDES EDUCA-
 TIONAL SERVICES TO STUDENTS AND ADULT LEARNERS  FROM  LOW-INCOME  URBAN,
 SUBURBAN OR RURAL COMMUNITIES; OR (C) A PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMMUNITY
 BASED  ORGANIZATION,  INCLUDING  AN INCORPORATED INSTITUTION THE SOLE OR
 PRIMARY PURPOSE OF WHICH IS THE SUPPORT OF MUSEUMS,  HISTORIC  SITES  OR
 HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES  LOCATED  IN A LOW-INCOME URBAN, SUBURBAN OR RURAL
 COMMUNITY OR THAT PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO  STUDENTS  AND  ADULT
 LEARNERS  FROM  LOW-INCOME  URBAN, SUBURBAN OR RURAL COMMUNITIES; EXCEPT
 THAT INSTITUTIONS OPERATED BY STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SHALL
 NOT BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE UNDER THIS SECTION.
   3. THE GOVERNING BODY OR OFFICER OF AN ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION REQUESTING
 A GRANT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL SUBMIT  AN  APPLICATION  AT  SUCH
 TIME,  AND  IN SUCH FORM AND CONTAINING SUCH INFORMATION, AS THE COMMIS-
 SIONER OF EDUCATION MAY REQUIRE. SUCH COMMISSIONER SHALL  ESTABLISH  THE
 CRITERIA  AND  STANDARDS  BY WHICH APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS TO BE AWARDED
 PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION WILL BE EVALUATED AND MADE TO  ELIGIBLE  INSTI-
 TUTIONS. THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE REGU-
 LATIONS  FOR  THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS FOR COOPER-
 S. 1378--A                          3
 
 ATIVE OR COLLABORATIVE GRANTS, PROVIDED THAT A SINGLE INSTITUTION SERVES
 AS THE APPLICANT FOR SUCH A GRANT AND FOR MULTI-YEAR GRANTS.
   4. THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL AWARD GRANTS, SUBJECT TO AVAIL-
 ABLE  APPROPRIATIONS,  IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE ALLOWABLE COSTS OF
 THE ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION AS DETERMINED BY SUCH COMMISSIONER.   ALLOWABLE
 COSTS  SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NEED NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE REASONABLE COST OF
 SALARIES AND FRINGE BENEFITS, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT. THE  COMMISSIONER
 OF EDUCATION SHALL ALLOCATE TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE AMOUNTS APPROPRI-
 ATED  FOR  SUCH GRANTS TO AWARD TO INSTITUTIONS WITH AN OPERATING BUDGET
 OF BETWEEN TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS AND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY  THOUSAND  DOLLARS
 PER  YEAR,  TWENTY-FIVE  PERCENT  OF  THE  AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH
 GRANTS TO AWARD TO INSTITUTIONS WITH AN OPERATING BUDGET OF BETWEEN  ONE
 HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND ONE DOLLARS AND FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PER
 YEAR, TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH GRANTS TO
 AWARD  TO  INSTITUTIONS WITH AN OPERATING BUDGET OF BETWEEN FIVE HUNDRED
 THOUSAND ONE DOLLARS AND ONE MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR,  AND  TWENTY-FIVE
 PERCENT  OF  THE AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH GRANTS TO AWARD TO INSTI-
 TUTIONS WITH AN OPERATING BUDGET IN EXCESS OF ONE  MILLION  DOLLARS  PER
 YEAR.  ANY REMAINING FUNDS WHICH ARE NOT AWARDED DUE TO A LACK OF ELIGI-
 BLE  APPLICANTS  MAY  BE  SUBSEQUENTLY  AWARDED ACCORDING TO CRITERIA AS
 DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, IRRESPECTIVE  OF  OPERATING
 INSTITUTION BUDGET SIZE.
   5.  ON  OR BEFORE MARCH FIFTEENTH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT AND ON OR
 BEFORE MARCH FIFTEENTH OF EACH  YEAR  THEREAFTER,  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 EDUCATION  SHALL  SUBMIT  TO  THE  CHAIRS  OF THE SENATE FINANCE AND THE
 ASSEMBLY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEES, AND THE DIRECTOR OF  THE  BUDGET,  A
 REPORT  DETAILING  THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION,
 INCLUDING THE EXTENT OF  PARTICIPATION  BY  ELIGIBLE  INSTITUTIONS,  THE
 RELATIONSHIP OF THE PROGRAMS PROVIDED TO SCHOOL CURRICULA, THE NUMBER OF
 SUCCESSFUL  AND  UNSUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS BY SIZE OF INSTITUTION, AND THE
 GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSION OF FUNDS AND PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the three hundred  sixty-fifth  day
 after  it  shall  have become a law. Effective immediately the addition,
 amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary  for  the
 implementation  of  this  act on its effective date are authorized to be
 made and completed on or before such effective date.