S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2430
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  GOUNARDES,  ADDABBO,  BRISPORT, CLEARE, GONZALEZ,
   HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, HOYLMAN-SIGAL,  JACKSON,  KAVANAGH,  KRUEGER,  LIU,
   MAY, MYRIE, RIVERA, SALAZAR, SANDERS, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, WEBB -- read
   twice  and  ordered  printed,  and when printed to be committed to the
   Committee on Education
 AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  interdisciplinary
   instruction on climate change
 
   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 819 to
 read as follows:
   § 819. INSTRUCTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE.  1.  SUBJECT  TO  APPROPRIATION,
 BEGINNING  WITH  THE  TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN
 SCHOOL YEAR, EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL SHALL PROVIDE  INSTRUCTION  ON  CLIMATE
 CHANGE  AND  SUCH  INSTRUCTION MAY BE PROVIDED THROUGH INTERDISCIPLINARY
 INSTRUCTION, WHERE APPROPRIATE. SUCH INSTRUCTION SHALL INCLUDE, BUT  NOT
 BE  LIMITED  TO, IDENTIFYING THE CAUSES AND IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON
 INDIVIDUALS, ENVIRONMENTS AND  COMMUNITIES,  AND  LEARNING  TO  EVALUATE
 SOLUTIONS. SUCH INSTRUCTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE SHALL BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH
 STATE LEARNING STANDARDS, AS APPROPRIATE.
   2.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL, SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION, PREPARE AND MAKE
 AVAILABLE GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMIT-
 ED TO, SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  TO  OFFER  PROFESSIONAL  LEARNING
 OPPORTUNITIES,  THAT MAY BE USED TO ASSIST SUCH EDUCATORS IN MEETING THE
 REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  ALSO,  SUBJECT  TO
 APPROPRIATION,  PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS SUCH
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS TRANSITION THEIR OPERATIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT  LIMITED
 TO  FACILITIES  AND TRANSPORTATION, TO MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND CLIMATE
 FRIENDLY APPROACHES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03181-01-5