STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7618 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE July 31, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BORRELLO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring curriculum or instruction in Italian history and civic impact in public schools 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 § 817. Italian history and civic impact curriculum or instruction. 1. 4 The commissioner shall establish Italian history and civic impact 5 curriculum or instruction for all public school districts in the state. 6 The contents of such curriculum or instruction shall be age appropriate 7 and developed according to the needs and abilities of students at 8 successive grade levels in order to provide robust Italian history and 9 civic impact instruction. Such contents shall include, but shall not be 10 limited to, instruction in the following: 11 a. Italian history, including the history of Italian immigration to 12 the United States; 13 b. The movements and policies that impacted the Italian community in 14 the United States; 15 c. The contributions made by the Italian community in government, the 16 arts, humanities, science, and the economic, cultural, social, and poli- 17 tical development of the United States; and 18 d. The structures and historical events that have limited or harmed 19 the Italian community, especially pertaining to the history of Italian 20 immigration to the United States. 21 2. The board of education or trustees of every school district shall 22 provide appropriate training and curriculum materials for teachers who 23 provide such instruction. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11923-02-3S. 7618 2 1 3. Schools may include such curriculum materials as components of such 2 schools' history or social studies curriculum, or any other manner such 3 schools deem appropriate. 4 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 5 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the 6 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary 7 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized 8 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.