STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         5159--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 7, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. ARROYO, RAMOS, D'URSO, GLICK, DICKENS, DAVILA,
          BRONSON, PICHARDO, FERNANDEZ, STIRPE,  SIMON,  EPSTEIN,  BLAKE,  CRUZ,
          M. G. MILLER,  RIVERA,  DeSTEFANO,  ORTIZ, JEAN-PIERRE, SCHMITT, FAHY,
          TITUS, SAYEGH, WILLIAMS, RAYNOR -- Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.  of  A.
          DE LA ROSA  -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education --
          committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
          recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing an educa-
          tional  program  related  to  the  prevention  of sexual harassment in
          schools

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
     2  subdivision 57 to read as follows:
     3    57.  Notwithstanding  any  other provision of law to the contrary, and
     4  subject to an appropriation,  the  department  shall  contract  with  an
     5  outside  entity  who  has  expertise  in  sexual  harassment training in
     6  schools to  establish  a  sexual  harassment  prevention  and  education
     7  program  overseen  by  such department. The commissioner shall work with
     8  such outside entity, to establish and  develop  an  educational  program
     9  within such department related to the prevention of sexual harassment in
    10  grades  kindergarten  through  twelve.  Such  program  shall  be further
    11  defined by such commissioner in regulation  and  shall  be  designed  to
    12  educate  students,  parents and school personnel about the prevention of
    13  sexual harassment in schools. Such commissioner, in  collaboration  with
    14  any  other  stakeholder  groups deemed appropriate by such commissioner,
    15  shall develop:
    16    a. the sexual harassment prevention and education program prepared  by
    17  an  outside  expert  organization  into age-appropriate model curriculum
    18  resources, including exemplar lesson plans, and best  practice  instruc-
    19  tional  resources for students, parents and school personnel designed to

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09033-03-9

        A. 5159--A                          2

     1  prevent sexual harassment in schools. Such model curriculum,  resources,
     2  lesson plans and instructional resources shall include but not be limit-
     3  ed to guidelines and methods of prevention, indicators and warning signs
     4  of  sexual  harassment, guidelines and methods to prevent sexual harass-
     5  ment and how to report complaints of sexual harassment in schools.  Such
     6  model curriculum shall be made available to school boards, school super-
     7  intendents, their equivalents, and teachers for voluntary implementation
     8  in health education classes and in health education coursework;
     9    b. instructional tools and materials for students, parents and  school
    10  personnel,  which  shall  include  updated  information on how to report
    11  sexual harassment in schools, with a review of such information to occur
    12  periodically, at intervals deemed appropriate by such commissioner; and
    13    c. public availability of all materials related to the sexual  harass-
    14  ment  education program on such department's website in Spanish, Creole,
    15  Mandarin, Korean, Bengali and any other language predominantly spoken by
    16  the population of the state.
    17    § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
    18  the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
    19  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
    20  for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
    21  to be made and completed on or before such effective date.