Bill Text: NY A08438 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides a course of instruction in the historical significance of Native Americans and their culture.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-15 - referred to education [A08438 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-A08438-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8438
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 15, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BRINDISI -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to a course of instruc-
tion in the historical significance of Native Americans
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 817 to
2 read as follows:
3 S 817. COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IN NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE.
4 1. (A) IN ORDER TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND TO
5 FOSTER IN THE CHILDREN OF THIS STATE A KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION OF THE
6 SIGNIFICANCE OF NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE,
7 THE COMMISSIONER IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO PROVIDE AND
8 PRESCRIBE A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IN NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
9 TO BE MAINTAINED AND FOLLOWED IN ALL SCHOOLS OF THE STATE. THE COMMIS-
10 SIONER SHALL CONSULT WITH THE NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONS AND TRIBES LOCATED
11 WITHIN THE STATE WITH FEDERAL AND/OR STATE LEGAL RECOGNITION IN THE
12 DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH COURSE OF INSTRUCTION AND MAY, AT HIS OR HER
13 DISCRETION, ALSO CONSULT WITH OTHER RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS. SUCH
14 INSTRUCTION SHALL BE AGE APPROPRIATE AND DEVELOPED ACCORDING TO THE
15 NEEDS AND ABILITIES OF PUPILS AT VARIOUS GRADE LEVELS. SUCH INSTRUCTION
16 SHALL ALSO, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PRACTICABLE, BE CONSISTENT WITH AND
17 INTEGRATED WITH THE CURRENT GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM AREAS ESTAB-
18 LISHED BY THE STATE.
19 (B) THE BOARDS OF EDUCATION AND TRUSTEES OF THE SEVERAL CITIES AND
20 SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF THE STATE SHALL REQUIRE INSTRUCTION TO BE GIVEN IN
21 SUCH COURSE BY TEACHERS EMPLOYED IN THE SCHOOLS THEREIN. ALL PUPILS
22 ATTENDING SUCH SCHOOLS, OVER THE AGE OF SIX YEARS, SHALL ATTEND UPON
23 SUCH INSTRUCTION. A SIMILAR COURSE OF INSTRUCTION SHALL BE PRESCRIBED
24 AND MAINTAINED IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE STATE, AND ALL PUPILS IN SUCH
25 SCHOOLS OVER SIX YEARS OF AGE SHALL ATTEND UPON SUCH COURSE. IF SUCH
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13178-02-3
A. 8438 2
1 COURSE IS NOT SO ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL, ATTEND-
2 ANCE UPON INSTRUCTION IN SUCH SCHOOL SHALL NOT BE DEEMED SUBSTANTIALLY
3 EQUIVALENT TO INSTRUCTION GIVEN TO PUPILS OF LIKE AGE IN THE PUBLIC
4 SCHOOLS OF THE CITY OR DISTRICT IN WHICH SUCH PUPILS RESIDE.
5 2. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONS
6 AND TRIBES LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE WITH FEDERAL AND/OR STATE LEGAL
7 RECOGNITION, SHALL DETERMINE THE SUBJECTS TO BE INCLUDED IN SUCH COURSE
8 AND SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM, THE STUDY OF THE FOLLOWING:
9 (A) THE HISTORY OF THE VARIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONS AND TRIBES
10 LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE, INCLUDING THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF THE STATE IN
11 WHICH SUCH NATIONS ESTABLISHED SETTLEMENTS;
12 (B) THE CULTURE AND OTHER RELEVANT ASPECTS OF THE HERITAGE OF EACH
13 SUCH NATIVE AMERICAN NATION OR TRIBE;
14 (C) SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS, EVENTS, DOCUMENTS, CONTRIBUTIONS AND PROMI-
15 NENT INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SUCH NATIVE AMERICAN NATION OR
16 TRIBE; AND
17 (D) THE CURRENT CONDITION OF EACH SUCH NATIVE AMERICAN NATION OR TRIBE
18 IN TERMS OF ITS LOCATION WITHIN THE STATE, MEMBERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTIONS
19 TO THE STATE.
20 3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS PROVIDING FOR
21 ATTENDANCE UPON SUCH INSTRUCTION AND FOR OTHER MATTERS AS ARE REQUIRED
22 FOR CARRYING INTO EFFECT THE OBJECTS AND PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION. THE
23 COMMISSIONER SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS SECTION
24 AND SHALL CAUSE TO BE INSPECTED AND SUPERVISED THE INSTRUCTION TO BE
25 GIVEN IN THE SUBJECTS DESCRIBED HEREIN.
26 4. TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, THE BOARDS OF EDUCATION AND TRUSTEES OF
27 THE SEVERAL CITIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF THE STATE AND THE PRIVATE
28 SCHOOLS OF THE STATE SHALL INCLUDE, AS PART OF THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION
29 REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION, AN EMPHASIS ON THE NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONS AND
30 TRIBES, HERITAGE, EVENTS AND ACTIONS WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC REGION IN
31 WHICH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR PRIVATE SCHOOL IS LOCATED.
32 S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
33 it shall have become a law.
