Requires a course of instruction on the provisions of the federalist papers and the United States constitution to be provided to high school students.

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S7261-2011 Actions

• Jun 5, 2012: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• May 2, 2012: REFERRED TO EDUCATION

S7261-2011 Meetings

Education: Jun 5, 2012

S7261-2011 Votes

S7261-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S7261

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to courses of instruction on the
constitution of the United States and the federalist papers

PURPOSE:
Requires a course of instruction on the provisions of the Federalist
Papers and the United States Constitution to be provided to high
school students

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one amends subdivision 2 and 3 of section 801 of the education
law, subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 481 of the laws of 1949 and
subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 574 of the laws of 1997, are
amended and a new subdivision 6 is added.

Section two is the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
We live in a country where the Constitution is a revered document, and
we live in a state where the Federalist Papers were helpful in the
passage of the Constitution. Even today the Federalist Papers serve
as a means to understand the intent behind the articles of the
Constitution and are sometimes used in judicial decisions. It is
important for the youth of New York State to learn about the rich and
patriotic context of the Federalist Papers in order to enrich their
civic education and help them become better citizens of this great
state and country.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

S7261-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    7261

                              I N  SENATE

                                 May 2, 2012
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- 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 courses of instruction
    on the constitution of the United States and the federalist papers

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.  Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 801 of the education law,
  subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 481 of the laws of 1949 and subdivi-
  sion 3 as amended by chapter 574 of the laws of 1997, are amended and  a
  new subdivision 6 is added to read as follows:

    2.  The regents shall prescribe courses of instruction in the history,
  meaning, significance and effect of the provisions of  the  constitution
  of the United States, the amendments thereto, THE FEDERALIST PAPERS, the
  declaration  of  independence, the constitution of the state of New York
  and the amendments thereto, to be maintained and followed in all of  the
  schools  of  the  state.  The  boards  of  education and trustees of the
  several cities and school districts of the state shall require  instruc-
  tion  to  be  given  in  such  courses,  by the teachers employed in the
  schools therein. All pupils attending such schools, in  the  eighth  and
  higher grades, shall attend upon such instruction.
    Similar  courses  of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in
  private schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools  in  grades
  or  classes  corresponding  to  the instruction in the eighth and higher
  grades of the public schools shall attend upon  such  courses.  If  such
  courses  are  not  so  established  and  maintained in a private school,
  attendance upon instruction in such school shall not be deemed  substan-
  tially  equivalent  to instruction given to pupils in the public schools
  of the city or district in which such pupils reside.
    3. The regents shall determine the subjects to  be  included  in  such
  courses  of  instruction  in  patriotism,  citizenship, and human rights
  issues, with particular attention to the  study  of  the  inhumanity  of
  genocide,  slavery  (including  the  freedom trail and underground rail-
  road), the Holocaust, and the mass starvation in Ireland  from  1845  to
  1850,  and  in  the  history,  meaning,  significance  and effect of the

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD15652-01-2

 S. 7261                             2

  provisions of the constitution of  the  United  States,  the  amendments
  thereto,  THE  FEDERALIST  PAPERS,  the declaration of independence, the
  constitution of the state of New York and the  amendments  thereto,  and
  the  period  of instruction in each of the grades in such subjects. They
  shall adopt rules providing for attendance upon such instruction and for
  such other matters as are required for carrying into effect the  objects
  and  purposes of this section. The commissioner shall be responsible for
  the enforcement of such section and shall  cause  to  be  inspected  and
  supervise the instruction to be given in such subjects. The commissioner
  may,  in  his  discretion,  cause  all or a portion of the public school
  money to be apportioned to a district or city to be withheld for failure
  of the school authorities of such district or city to  provide  instruc-
  tion  in such courses and to compel attendance upon such instruction, as
  herein prescribed, and for  a  non-compliance  with  the  rules  of  the
  regents adopted as herein provided.
    6.  THE  REGENTS SHALL ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION
  ON THE HISTORY, MEANING,  SIGNIFICANCE  AND  EFFECT  OF  THE  FEDERALIST
  PAPERS  AND  THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND
  ALL AMENDMENTS THERETO. SUCH COURSE OF INSTRUCTION ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT
  TO  THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL  BE  PROVIDED  TO ALL PUPILS IN GRADES NINE
  THROUGH TWELVE.
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
  the date on which it shall have become a law.