NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7891

Senate Bill S7891

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring the department of education to provide school districts with a list of resources and instructional materials on media literacy

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 13, 2025	referred to education

2025-S7891 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1855
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §756, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: A2219
2021-2022: A468
2023-2024: A1452

2025-S7891 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to requiring the department of education to provide school districts with a list of resources and instructional materials on media literacy; defines terms.

2025-S7891 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7891

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the depart-
ment of education to provide school districts with a list of resources
and instructional materials on media literacy

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that students in New York have
access to resources related to media literacy.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends the education law by adding new section 756.

Section 1a defines "digital citizenship" to mean a diverse set of skills
related to current technology and social media, including the norms of
appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior.

Section 1b defines "media literacy" to mean the ability to access,
analyze, evaluate, and use media, and encompasses the foundational
skills that lead to digital citizenship.

Section 1, part 2, requires the NYSED, by July 1, 2026, to make avail-
able to school districts on its website a list of resources and instruc-
tional materials on media literacy, including media literacy profes-
sional development programs for teachers.

Section two sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Recent research highlights the need for media literacy education. Such
research includes 'Many Americans Believe Fake News is Sowing Confusion'
by the Pew Research Center (2016); and 'Evaluating Information: The
Cornerstone of Civic Online Reasoning' by the Stanford History Education
Group (2016). A recent Stanford study shows 82% of middle school
students struggle to distinguish advertisements from news stories.

Access to technology literacy and digital media skills education for all
young students is a challenge, especially for underrepresented and
economically disadvantaged communities. With over 90% of young adults
present on social media, it is important to ensure that young adults are
prepared with technology literacy and computer skills to utilize social
media sites responsibly.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate

2025-S7891 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7891
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- 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 requiring the depart-
   ment of education to provide school districts with a list of resources
   and instructional materials on media literacy

   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 756 to
 read as follows:
   §  756. MEDIA LITERACY MATERIALS. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,
 THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   A. "DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP" MEANS A DIVERSE  SET  OF  SKILLS  RELATED  TO
 CURRENT TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING THE NORMS OF APPROPRIATE,
 RESPONSIBLE, AND HEALTHY BEHAVIOR.
   B.  "MEDIA  LITERACY"  MEANS THE ABILITY TO ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE,
 AND USE MEDIA AND ENCOMPASSES  THE  FOUNDATIONAL  SKILLS  THAT  LEAD  TO
 DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP.
   2.  ON  OR  BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, THE DEPARTMENT
 SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON ITS INTERNET WEBSITE A  LIST
 OF  RESOURCES  AND  INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON MEDIA LITERACY, INCLUDING
 MEDIA LITERACY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR TEACHERS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04695-01-5

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