A 6490: Requires instruction in arts and music education to be incorporated into curriculums for all public school students; requires school districts to ensure that appropriately certified teachers are providing such education; authorizes rules and regulations consistent with such provisions.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6490 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY March 5, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DAIS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to adding arts and music education into the curriculum for public school students The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds that arts 2 and music education exposure has developmental benefits to children and 3 adolescents, and is an essential component to providing a well-rounded 4 education to all of the state of New York's public school students. Past 5 studies have shown that arts and music education has a significant posi- 6 tive impact on all students, including traditionally underserved 7 students. It is the legislature's intent to ensure that arts and music 8 education shall be incorporated into the public school curriculum. 9 § 2. Subparagraphs 1 and 2 of paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 10 3204 of the education law, subparagraph 1 as amended by chapter 14 of 11 the laws of 1958 and subparagraph 2 as amended by chapter 124 of the 12 laws of 1951, are amended to read as follows: 13 (1) The course of study for the first eight years of full time public 14 day schools shall provide for instruction in at least the [twelve] thir- 15 teen common school branches of arithmetic, reading, spelling, writing, 16 the English language, geography, United States history, civics, hygiene, 17 arts and music, physical training, the history of New York state and 18 science. 19 (2) The courses of study and of specialized training beyond the first 20 eight years of full time public day schools shall provide for instruc- 21 tion in at least the English language and its use, in civics, hygiene, 22 physical training, arts and music, and American history including the 23 principles of government proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence 24 and established by the constitution of the United States. 25 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04108-01-5