Senate Bill S4983

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to prohibiting state funding of any college if instructional staff advocates or engages in activities on campus in support of a terrorist organization

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 14, 2025	referred to higher education

co-Sponsors

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2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 13-D §641, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S9600

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits state funding of any college if instructional staff promotes, encourages, advocates or engages in activities on campus in support of a terrorist organization as defined in federal statute.

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4983

SPONSOR: CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting state
funding of any college if such institution's instructional staff advo-
cates or engages in activities on campus in support of a terrorist
organization

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure state funding is not directly or indirectly supporting the
promotion of terrorist organizations.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends the Education Law to provide that all colleges,
universities, and other institutions for higher education authorized to
confer degrees shall have a duty to take appropriate corrective steps if
a member of instructional staff directly or indirectly promotes, encour-
ages, advocates or engages in any activity on campus in support of a

terrorist organization as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1189.  If appropriate
corrective steps are not taken in a time and manner as determined by the
New York State Education Department, such college, university, or other
institution for higher education shall not be eligible to receive state
funding.

Section 2: Provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Anti-Defamation League recently published a "Campus Antisemitic
Report Card," which painted a bleak picture of antisemitism on New
York's campuses-nearly half the schools graded received either a D or an
F, and none received an A. One of the incidents described in the report
card included a professor saying at a campus rally that he was "exhil-
arated" by the horrific October 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas
against Israel. Many Jewish students do not feel safe on their campus as
protests have quickly devolved to including antisemitic rhetoric and
threats of violence, and in some cases, students have been advised to
avoid campus altogether.

Clearly, many colleges and universities are not taking sufficient action
to maintain safety on campuses, especially for Jewish students. It is
especially alarming when those who are entrusted to educate young
students are expressing support for terrorist organizations. Schools
have an obligation to ensure the safety of all their students, and New
York State should not be providing public dollars that directly or indi-
rectly support institutions that do not take appropriate corrective
steps to address educators who are promoting the actions of terrorists.

This legislation would ensure that schools take appropriate corrective
steps when a member of a college's instructional staff directly or indi-
rectly promotes, encourages, advocates or engages in any activity on
campus in support of a terrorist organization as defined by 8 U.S.C. §
1189, or else lose state funding.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.9600 Referred to Higher Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4983
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK,  RHOADS,  MARTINS, GRIFFO,
   WEBER, OBERACKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and  when  printed
   to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education law, in relation to prohibiting state
   funding of any college if such institution's instructional staff advo-
   cates or engages in activities on campus in  support  of  a  terrorist
   organization
 
   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  article  13-D
 to read as follows:
 
                               ARTICLE 13-D
        DUTY TO ADDRESS TERRORISTIC ACTIVITY BY INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF
 
 SECTION 641. DUTY  TO  ADDRESS  TERRORISTIC  ACTIVITY  BY  INSTRUCTIONAL
                STAFF.
   § 641. DUTY TO ADDRESS TERRORISTIC ACTIVITY  BY  INSTRUCTIONAL  STAFF.
 1.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, NO COLLEGE SHALL RECEIVE
 STATE FUNDING IF A MEMBER OF SUCH COLLEGE'S INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF DIRECTLY
 OR INDIRECTLY PROMOTES, ENCOURAGES, ADVOCATES OR ENGAGES IN ANY ACTIVITY
 ON CAMPUS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AS DEFINED BY 8  U.S.C.
 § 1189, UNLESS SUCH COLLEGE HAS TAKEN APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE STEPS, IN A
 TIME AND MANNER AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   2.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL NOTIFY ANY COLLEGE THAT THEY DEEM TO HAVE
 NOT TAKEN APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE STEPS PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF
 THIS SECTION AND THAT SUCH COLLEGE SHALL NOT RECEIVE STATE FUNDING UNTIL
 APPROPRIATE  CORRECTIVE  STEPS  ARE  TAKEN, WHICH THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
 DESCRIBE. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ALSO NOTIFY THE DIRECTOR OF  THE  DIVI-
 SION  OF  BUDGET  WHEN  A COLLEGE IS INELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDING

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04771-01-5
 S. 4983                             2

 
 PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, AS WELL AS IF AND WHEN A COLLEGE  IS  ELIGIBLE
 TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDING FOLLOWING APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE STEPS.
   3.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF" SHALL MEAN
 INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED BY A COLLEGE IN THE FOLLOWING TITLES:    PRESIDENT,
 DEAN,  DIRECTOR,  PROFESSOR,  ASSOCIATE  PROFESSOR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
 INSTRUCTOR, TUTOR, FELLOW,  LECTURER,  LIBRARIAN,  ASSOCIATE  LIBRARIAN,
 ASSISTANT  LIBRARIAN, LIBRARY ASSISTANT, REGISTRAR, ASSISTANT REGISTRAR,
 REGISTRAR'S ASSISTANT, PRINCIPAL, FIRST ASSISTANT, SUPERVISOR, ASSISTANT
 TEACHER, CRITIC TEACHER, TEACHER,  COLLEGE  SCIENCE  ASSISTANT,  COLLEGE
 SCIENCE  TECHNICIAN,  COLLEGE  ENGINEERING  TECHNICIAN,  AND  ANY  OTHER
 EMPLOYEES DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A DIRECT ROLE IN  EDUCAT-
 ING STUDENTS OF SUCH COLLEGE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S4983

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

Steven D. Rhoads

Jack M. Martins

Joseph A. Griffo

Bill Weber

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4983 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments