STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5610 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 18, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ZINERMAN, TAYLOR, SEAWRIGHT, HEVESI, SIMON, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, GLICK, OTIS, COOK, DAVILA, JACKSON, RAGA, WALKER, GIBBS, ANDERSON, CHANDLER-WATERMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to allocating the Amistad commission to work alongside the department of education and on behalf of students in New York state; and to repeal certain provisions of the arts and cultural affairs law relating to the Amistad commission The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Article 57-B of the arts and cultural affairs law is 2 REPEALED. 3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new article 25 to read 4 as follows: 5 ARTICLE 25 6 THE AMISTAD COMMISSION 7 Section 1301. Legislative findings. 8 1302. Definitions 9 1303. Commission established. 10 1304. Commission duties and responsibilities. 11 1305. Curriculum. 12 1306. Authorization. 13 § 1301. Legislative findings. The legislature finds and declares that: 14 1. During the period beginning late in the fifteenth century through 15 the nineteenth century, millions of persons of African origin were 16 enslaved and brought to the Western Hemisphere, including the United 17 States of America; of the 12.5 million enslaved Africans brought, 10.7 18 million survived the middle passage or approximately 20% perished during 19 their journey to the Western hemisphere. The enslavement of Africans and 20 their descendants was part of a concerted effort of physical and psycho- 21 logical terror that deprived groups of people of African descent the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00149-01-5
A. 5610 2 1 opportunity to preserve many of their economic, social, religious, poli- 2 tical and other customs; the vestiges of slavery in this country contin- 3 ued with the legalization of second class citizenship status for Afri- 4 can-Americans through from the end of Reconstruction in 1876 until the 5 Civil Rights Era that spanned the 1950s through 1968, including Jim Crow 6 laws, segregation and other similar practices; the legacy of slavery has 7 pervaded the fabric of our society; and in spite of these events there 8 are endless examples of the influence of the history of Africans on the 9 cultural, economic, political and social foundation of the United 10 States, the Americas and the economies, politics and societies of Europe 11 and beyond. The enduring legacy of chattel slavery in the United States 12 and the Americas, including the social construct created and cemented by 13 the biological myth of race and the resulting inequities and injustices 14 stemming from racism. That was challenged by the perseverance, activism 15 and aforementioned contributions of the enslaved Africans, their 16 descendants and stakeholders, throughout history. 17 2. We should know of and remember the human carnage and dehumanizing 18 atrocities committed during the period of the African slave trade and 19 slavery in America and of the vestiges of slavery in this country; and 20 it is in fact vital to educate our citizens on these events, the legacy 21 of slavery, the sad history of racism in this country, and on the prin- 22 ciples of human rights and dignity in a civilized society. 23 3. It is the policy of the state of New York that Black history, 24 including the history of Africa, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the 25 African diaspora, chattel slavery, the African slave trade, slavery in 26 America, the legacy of slavery on our society, the depth of their impact 27 in our society, and the triumphs of Africans and their descendants and 28 their significant contributions to the development of this country is 29 the proper concern of all people, particularly students enrolled in the 30 schools of the state of New York. 31 4. There is a need for education reform from preschool through college 32 in order to mitigate the devastating effect of racism in education and 33 the complete miseducation of our population around Black history. 34 5. It is therefore desirable to create a state-level commission, which 35 shall oversee the budget and operation of the Amistad commission as it 36 seeks to provide the students of New York with a more adequate inclu- 37 sion of the history of Africa, chattel slavery, the African diaspora, 38 the legacy of slavery and the contributions of African-Americans in 39 building our country. 40 § 1302. Definitions. For the purposes of this article: 41 1. "Commission" shall mean the Amistad commission. 42 2. "African-Americans" shall mean all Pan-African people in the Ameri- 43 cas. 44 3. "Black history" or "Black studies" shall mean the history of Afri- 45 ca, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the African diaspora, chattel slav- 46 ery, slavery in the Americas, the legacy of slavery in our society, the 47 depth of their impact in our society, and the triumphs of Africans in 48 the Americas and their descendants and their significant contributions. 49 It shall elevate historically marginalized voices. It shall include 50 opportunities to learn about power and privilege in the context of vari- 51 ous communities and empowers learners to be agents of positive social 52 change. It shall provide the opportunity to learn about perspectives 53 beyond one's own scope. It shall work toward dismantling systems of 54 biases and inequities and decentering dominant ideologies in education. 55 4. "Department" shall mean the department of education as such term is 56 defined in subdivision six of section two of this chapter.
A. 5610 3 1 5. "Commissioner" shall have the same meaning as such term is defined 2 in subdivision five of section two of this chapter. 3 § 1303. Commission established. 1. The Amistad commission, so named in 4 honor of the group of enslaved Africans led by Joseph Cinque who, while 5 being transported in eighteen hundred thirty-nine on a vessel named the 6 Amistad, gained their freedom after overthrowing the crew and eventually 7 having their case successfully argued before the United States Supreme 8 Court, is hereby created and established. The commission shall consist 9 of twenty-one members, including the commissioner of education or such 10 commissioner's designee, the temporary president of the senate, the 11 speaker of the assembly, the chancellor of the state university of New 12 York or such chancellor's designee, serving ex officio, a designee 13 appointed by the governor who has a background in education and sixteen 14 public members. Public members shall be appointed as follows: The 15 public members shall be residents of the state, chosen with due regard 16 to broad geographic representation and racial and ethnic diversity, who 17 have knowledge of Black studies. 18 2. The commissioner or such commissioner's designee shall reside as a 19 voting member. The temporary president of the senate and the speaker of 20 the assembly shall serve as voting members for the two-year legislative 21 term. All public members shall serve as voting members. 22 3. The commission shall have a separate budget from the department and 23 shall be allocated in but not of the department, but notwithstanding 24 this allocation, the commission shall be independent of any supervision 25 or control by the department or any board or officer thereof. 26 4. Each public member of the commission shall serve for a term of four 27 years. Public members shall be eligible for reappointment. They shall 28 serve until their successors are appointed and qualified, and the term 29 of the successor of any incumbent shall be calculated from the expira- 30 tion of the term of that incumbent. A vacancy occurring other than by 31 expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original 32 appointment but for the unexpired term only. 33 5. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but 34 shall be entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred 35 in the performance of their duties. 36 6. The commission shall annually elect a chairperson and a vice-chair- 37 person from among its members. The commission shall meet upon the call 38 of the chairperson or of a majority of the commission members. The pres- 39 ence of a majority of the authorized voting membership of the commission 40 shall be required for the conduct of official business. 41 7. The commission shall interview and appoint an executive director, 42 who shall serve at its pleasure and shall be a person qualified by 43 training and experience to perform the duties of the office. The commis- 44 sion shall approve all commission personnel. The executive director 45 shall identify their staff and the personnel committee of such commis- 46 sion shall approve such hires through equitable hiring practices. 47 8. The department shall provide technical assistance and data to the 48 commission as may be necessary for the commission to carry out its 49 responsibilities pursuant to this article. 50 9. The executive director shall submit a request for the budget for an 51 amount not less than one million four hundred thousand dollars directly 52 to the governor annually. The legislature shall appropriate sufficient 53 funding to ensure that the commission carries out the provisions of this 54 article. One hundred thousand dollars of such funding shall be allo- 55 cated annually for travel expenses, including but not limited to 56 expenses for overnight accommodations and retreats.
A. 5610 4 1 § 1304. Commission duties and responsibilities. 1. The commission 2 shall, including but not limited to, blue ribbon commission recommenda- 3 tions: 4 (a) create a state-developed rubric or rubrics for any performance- 5 based assessments allowed as an option to satisfy the diploma assessment 6 requirements of the state; 7 (b) require all state teacher preparation programs to provide instruc- 8 tion in culturally responsive-sustaining education, diversity, equity, 9 and inclusion and accessibility lens in all subject areas, including 10 history; and 11 (c) include such information in district comprehensive improvement 12 plans or other accountability measures provided by the department. 13 2. In crafting a framework for the implementation of Black studies, 14 the commission shall: 15 (a) Adopt and/or adapt a Black history curriculum with scope and 16 sequence and grade level outcomes and market and distribute such infor- 17 mation and materials to educators, administrators and school districts 18 in the state; 19 (b) Conduct teacher workshops annually on Black history; 20 (c) Monitor and assess the inclusion of such materials and curricula 21 in the state's educational system; 22 (d) In order to facilitate the commission's adoption and/or adaptation 23 of a Black history curriculum with scope and sequence and grade level 24 outcomes, survey, catalog, and recommend to the department: 25 (i) the alignment or craft educational standards that are culturally 26 relevant and inclusive; 27 (ii) the scope of Black history, which shall include but not be limit- 28 ed to, history, culture, contributions, social movements, literature, 29 and the arts from ancient to contemporary times; 30 (iii) the incorporation of Black history across multiple subjects, 31 including but not limited to, history, social studies, literature, and 32 the arts to provide a holistic view; and 33 (iv) diverse viewpoints within the African American community, high- 34 lighting gender, regional, socioeconomic, and ideological diversity. 35 (e) Survey and catalog the extent and breadth of education concerning 36 Black history presently being incorporated into the curricula and text- 37 books and taught in the school systems of the state; and, to inventory 38 those African slave trade, American slavery, or relevant African-Ameri- 39 can history memorials, exhibits and resources which should be incorpo- 40 rated into courses of study at educational institutions and schools 41 throughout the state; 42 (f) Compile a roster of individual professionals, consultants, and 43 experts who are willing to contract to share their knowledge and experi- 44 ence in classrooms, seminars and workshops with students and teachers on 45 the subject of Black history; 46 (g) Prepare reports for the governor and the legislature regarding its 47 findings and recommendations on facilitating the inclusion of Black 48 history and special programs in the educational system of the state; and 49 (h) Increase awareness and encourage school districts to utilize 50 curricula on Black history by: 51 (i) providing curriculum and professional development support for 52 public school districts and/or public schools for the acquisition of 53 such curricular materials, guides, texts, and coaching so as to increase 54 the efficacy of teaching and learning of such knowledge and to effect 55 its full integration into the curriculum of all such public schools; and
A. 5610 5 1 (ii) prioritize the hiring, contracting, and procurement of such 2 services and materials necessary to effectuate the provisions of para- 3 graph (a) of this subdivision from among the professionals, consultants, 4 and experts who represent a broad ethnic diversity that also have a 5 demonstrated life experience and educational background in Black histo- 6 ry. 7 3. Monetary incentives shall be appropriated for schools to utilize 8 existing budgets to replace outdated materials and teaching methodol- 9 ogies. 10 § 1305. Curriculum. 1. The commission shall provide curriculum, educa- 11 tional experiences through primary sources and narratives, learning 12 materials, and performance based and project-based assessments for all 13 grades including preschool through college about: 14 (a) Black history and the influence of the history of Africans on the 15 economic, cultural, political and social foundation of the United 16 States, the Americas and the economies, politics and societies of Europe 17 and beyond; 18 (b) The institution of chattel slavery in the Americas and Europe; and 19 (c) The enduring legacy of chattel slavery in the United States and 20 the Americas, including but not limited to: 21 (i) the social construct of race; 22 (ii) inequity and injustice stemming from racism; and 23 (iii) perseverance, activism and contributions of the enslaved, their 24 descendants and stakeholders, throughout history. 25 2. The instruction shall also emphasize the personal responsibility of 26 each citizen to fight racism and hatred whenever and wherever it happens 27 and to uphold the national ideals of freedom and justice for all. 28 3. The department shall work with the commission to ensure that all 29 department assessment tools for schools within the state are inclusive 30 of the Black history curriculum and available for school districts to 31 adopt including, but not limited to: 32 (a) Inclusion in the district comprehensive education plan and school 33 comprehensive education plan; and 34 (b) Inclusion in district diversity, equity, and inclusion plans. 35 4. Curriculum shall be disseminated by the commission and shall incor- 36 porate the learning standards established by the board of regents. 37 § 1306. Authorization. 1. The commission is authorized to call upon 38 any department, office, division or agency of the state, or any county, 39 municipality or school district of the state, to supply such data, 40 program reports and other information, as it deems necessary to 41 discharge its responsibilities under this article. 42 2. Such departments, offices, divisions and agencies shall, to the 43 extent possible and not inconsistent with any other law of this state, 44 cooperate with the commission and shall furnish it with such information 45 and assistance as may be necessary or helpful to accomplish the purposes 46 of this article. 47 § 3. Section 801 of the education law is amended by adding a new 48 subdivision 3-a to read as follows: 49 3-a. The regents shall prescribe courses of instruction in accordance 50 with the requirements of section thirteen hundred five of this chapter. 51 Similar courses of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in 52 private schools and offered to home schools in the state, and all pupils 53 in such schools in grades or classes corresponding to the instruction in 54 the eighth and higher grades of the public schools shall attend upon 55 such courses. If such courses are not so established and maintained in a 56 private school, attendance upon instruction in such school shall not be
A. 5610 6 1 deemed substantially equivalent to instruction given to pupils in the 2 public schools of the city or district in which such pupils reside. 3 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, that 4 section 1305 of the education law, as added by section two of this act, 5 and subdivision 3-a of section 801 of the education law, as added by 6 section three of this act shall take effect on the first of July next 7 succeeding the date upon which it shall have become a law.