Senate Bill S1408

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1408
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  LIU,  GOUNARDES,  MYRIE -- 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 establishing an educa-
   tional  program related to the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamopho-
   bia bias and discrimination based on  religion,  race,  sexual  orien-
   tation or gender identity or expression
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 63 to read as follows:
   63. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO  THE  CONTRARY,  AND
 SUBJECT  TO  AN  APPROPRIATION,  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL CONTRACT WITH AN
 OUTSIDE ENTITY WHO HAS EXPERTISE IN  THE  PREVENTION  OF  ANTI-SEMITISM,
 ISLAMOPHOBIA  BIAS  AND  DISCRIMINATION  BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL
 ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION TO ESTABLISH AN  ANTI-SEMI-
 TISM,  ISLAMOPHOBIA  BIAS  AND  DISCRIMINATION  PREVENTION AND EDUCATION
 PROGRAM OVERSEEN BY SUCH DEPARTMENT. THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL  WORK  WITH
 SUCH  OUTSIDE  ENTITY,  TO  ESTABLISH AND DEVELOP AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
 WITHIN SUCH DEPARTMENT  RELATED  TO  THE  PREVENTION  OF  ANTI-SEMITISM,
 ISLAMOPHOBIA  BIAS  AND  DISCRIMINATION  BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL
 ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY  OR  EXPRESSION  IN  GRADES  KINDERGARTEN
 THROUGH  TWELVE.  SUCH  PROGRAM SHALL BE FURTHER DEFINED BY SUCH COMMIS-
 SIONER IN REGULATION AND SHALL BE DESIGNED TO EDUCATE STUDENTS,  PARENTS
 AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL ABOUT THE PREVENTION OF ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA
 BIAS  AND  DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR
 GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION.  SUCH COMMISSIONER, IN COLLABORATION WITH
 ANY OTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS DEEMED APPROPRIATE  BY  SUCH  COMMISSIONER,
 SHALL DEVELOP:
   A.  THE ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION PREVENTION
 AND EDUCATION PROGRAM PREPARED BY AN OUTSIDE  EXPERT  ORGANIZATION  INTO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02492-01-5
              

 S. 1408                             2
 
 AGE-APPROPRIATE  MODEL  CURRICULUM  RESOURCES, INCLUDING EXEMPLAR LESSON
 PLANS, AND BEST PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES FOR  STUDENTS,  PARENTS
 AND  SCHOOL  PERSONNEL  DESIGNED  TO PREVENT ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA
 BIAS  AND  DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR
 GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION. SUCH MODEL CURRICULUM, RESOURCES,  LESSON
 PLANS  AND  INSTRUCTIONAL  RESOURCES SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO
 GUIDELINES AND METHODS OF PREVENTION, INDICATORS AND  WARNING  SIGNS  OF
 ANTI-SEMITISM,  ISLAMOPHOBIA  BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION,
 RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY  OR  EXPRESSION,  GUIDELINES
 AND  METHODS  TO  PREVENT ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMI-
 NATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY OR
 EXPRESSION AND HOW TO REPORT COMPLAINTS OF  ANTI-SEMITISM,  ISLAMOPHOBIA
 BIAS  AND  DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR
 GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION.   SUCH MODEL  CURRICULUM  SHALL  BE  MADE
 AVAILABLE  TO  SCHOOL BOARDS, SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS, THEIR EQUIVALENTS,
 AND TEACHERS FOR VOLUNTARY IMPLEMENTATION IN SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES  AND
 IN SOCIAL STUDIES COURSEWORK;
   B.  INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS AND SCHOOL
 PERSONNEL, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE UPDATED  INFORMATION  ON  HOW  TO  REPORT
 INCIDENTS  OF  ANTI-SEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION BASED
 ON RELIGION, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY OR  EXPRESSION,
 WITH  A  REVIEW  OF SUCH INFORMATION TO OCCUR PERIODICALLY, AT INTERVALS
 DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY SUCH COMMISSIONER; AND
   C. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF ALL MATERIALS RELATED TO THE  ANTI-SEMITISM,
 ISLAMOPHOBIA BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION PREVENTION AND EDUCATION PROGRAM ON
 SUCH  DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE IN SPANISH, CREOLE, MANDARIN, KOREAN, BENGALI
 AND ANY OTHER LANGUAGE PREDOMINANTLY SPOKEN BY  THE  POPULATION  OF  THE
 STATE.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which 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.