A 5724: Expands the health education curriculum to include breast cancer screenings including age appropriate instruction in performing self-examinations.
The bill aims to expand health education curriculum in New York schools to include breast cancer screenings. It requires senior high schools to incorporate methods of prevention and detection of certain cancers, including breast cancer, into their health education courses. Teachers holding a certificate to teach health must be responsible for teaching these courses. The instruction regarding breast cancer must include age and developmentally appropriate guidance on performing self-examinations. Additionally, the bill allows for breast cancer instruction to be offered in elementary and middle schools, as deemed appropriate by local boards of education and the chancellor of the city school district of New York. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.
- What is the current status of A 5724?
- As of January 8, 2026, A 5724 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "referred to education".
- Did A 5724 pass?
- Not yet. A 5724 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote A 5724, and where is it now?
- A 5724 was authored by Asm. Michaelle Solages. Its committee of record is Assembly Education.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to education |
| Feb. 20, 2025 | referred to education |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5724 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 20, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to expanding health education curriculum to include breast cancer screenings The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and my be cited as "Siena's Law". 2 § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 804 of the education law, as amended by 3 chapter 390 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows: 4 5. a. Instruction regarding methods of prevention and detection of 5 certain cancers, including but not limited to breast cancer, skin 6 cancer, testicular cancer and other cancers where certain preventive 7 measures have become generally accepted and certain detection methods 8 have been adopted and recommended generally to the public. Such instruc- 9 tion shall be an integral part of a required health education course at 10 the senior high school level, in addition to continued health guidance 11 in senior high schools. Any such course shall be taught by teachers 12 holding a certificate to teach health. With respect to instruction 13 regarding breast cancer, such instruction shall include age and develop- 14 mentally appropriate instruction in performing self-examinations. 15 b. In addition to the requirements of paragraph a of this subdivision, 16 with respect to the instruction regarding breast cancer, such instruc- 17 tion may be offered in elementary and middle schools as deemed appropri- 18 ate by local boards of education and the chancellor of the city school 19 district of the city of New York. 20 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 21 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. LBD09929-01-5