Bill Text: NY S04533 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Expands the requirements for teaching humane education of animals to secondary school students; requires verification of compliance.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S04533 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S04533-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4533

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 9, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sens. HARCKHAM, ADDABBO -- 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 expanding the require-
          ments  for  teaching humane education to secondary school students and
          provides for the verification of compliance of such instruction

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

     1    Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section  809 of the education law, as
     2  amended by chapter 542 of the laws  of  1994,  is  amended  to  read  as
     3  follows:
     4    1.  a.  The  officer,  board  or  commission authorized or required to
     5  prescribe courses of instruction shall cause instruction to be given  in
     6  every elementary school under state control or supported wholly or part-
     7  ly  by public money of the state, in the humane treatment and protection
     8  of animals and the importance of the part they play in  the  economy  of
     9  nature  as  well  as  the  necessity of controlling the proliferation of
    10  animals which are subsequently abandoned and caused  to  suffer  extreme
    11  cruelty.  Such  instruction shall be for such period of time during each
    12  school year as the board of regents may prescribe and may be joined with
    13  work in literature, reading, language, nature study or  ethnology.  Such
    14  weekly instruction may be divided into two or more periods.
    15    b.  The  officer,  board,  or  commission  authorized  or  required to
    16  prescribe courses of instruction shall cause instruction to be given  in
    17  every secondary school under state control or supported wholly or partly
    18  by  public money of the state, in the humane treatment and protection of
    19  animals and the importance of the part  they  play  in  the  economy  of
    20  nature  as  well  as  the  necessity of controlling the proliferation of
    21  animals which are subsequently abandoned and caused  to  suffer  extreme
    22  cruelty.  Such instruction shall include educating students on the prin-
    23  ciples of kindness to and respect for animals and observance of laws and
    24  rules  pertaining  to  the humane treatment of animals. The commissioner

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00917-01-3
        S. 4533                             2

     1  shall determine how to incorporate such instruction in existing  curric-
     2  ula  and  the  commissioner  shall  promulgate any regulations needed to
     3  carry out such determination.
     4    c.  A  school  district  shall  not  be entitled to participate in the
     5  public school money on account of any school or the  attendance  at  any
     6  school  subject  to  the  provisions of this section, if the instruction
     7  required [hereby] pursuant to this section is not given therein.
     8    § 2.  Section 809 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
     9  subdivision 7 to read as follows:
    10    7. Compliance records. The commissioner shall maintain records verify-
    11  ing school compliance with the provisions of this section and shall make
    12  such information available to the public, including on its website.
    13    §  3.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
    14  the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
    15  addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
    16  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
    17  to be made and completed on or before such effective date.