A 1984: Requires that climate change and sustainability education be taught in elementary and high schools to educate pupils about how human activities cause climate change, the effects of climate change, the dangers associated with climate change and preventative measures that can be taken to alleviate the impacts of climate change.
The bill aims to require comprehensive climate change and sustainability education in public and charter schools across New York State. The education curriculum will cover how human activities cause climate change, its effects, dangers associated with it, and preventative measures to alleviate its impacts. The curriculum must be created by the commissioner and approved by the chancellor of the New York City school system or a board of education. Schools will begin teaching the curriculum in the first year following certification by the commissioner that the curriculum has been established. School authorities will provide necessary facilities, time, and resources for effective teaching and learning on climate change and sustainability. The bill will take effect on the first day of July next following the date of its enactment.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to education |
| Jan. 14, 2025 | referred to education |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1984 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring climate change and sustainability education in elementary and high 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 819 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 819. Comprehensive climate change and sustainability education. 1. 4 The commissioner shall create and establish a comprehensive and accurate 5 climate change and sustainability curriculum which shall be taught in 6 grades kindergarten through twelve in all public and charter schools. 7 Such curriculum shall include instruction on how human activities cause 8 climate change, the effects of climate change, the dangers associated 9 with climate change and preventative measures that can be taken to alle- 10 viate the impacts of climate change. 11 2. The chancellor of the New York city school system, or a board of 12 education may adopt their own curriculum upon approval of the commis- 13 sioner, provided, however, that the commissioner shall not approve any 14 curriculum which does not substantially comply with the curriculum 15 created pursuant to subdivision one of this section. 16 3. Schools shall begin teaching the curriculum established pursuant to 17 this section in the first school year following certification by the 18 commissioner that such curriculum has been established. 19 4. School authorities shall provide the needed facilities, time and 20 place for the instruction set forth in this section and shall provide 21 learning aids and curriculum resource materials which contribute to 22 effective teaching methods and learning in education regarding climate 23 change and sustainability. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 25 the date on which it shall have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05418-01-5