A 7876: Requires colleges and universities to provide students with written information on reporting bias related and hate crimes, requirements for reporting bias related and hate crimes, and protections available to those who report bias related and hate crimes.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7876 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY April 11, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. NOVAKHOV, BROOK-KRASNY, NORBER, CHANG -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring colleges and universities to provide students with written information on reporting bias related and hate crimes The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 6436 of the education law, as amended by chapter 2 191 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 6436. Bias related and hate crime prevention information. 1. Each 4 college shall inform incoming students about bias related and hate crime 5 prevention measures through programs which may include workshops, semi- 6 nars, discussion groups, and film presentations, in order to disseminate 7 information about bias related and hate crimes, promote discussion, 8 encourage reporting of incidents of bias related and hate crimes, and 9 facilitate prevention of such incidents. Such information shall include, 10 but not be limited to: 11 [1.] (a) the applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations on bias 12 related crime, including the provisions and coverage of the hate crimes 13 act of 2000 codified in article four hundred eighty-five of the penal 14 law; 15 [2.] (b) the penalties for commission of bias related and hate crimes; 16 [3.] (c) the procedures in effect at the college for dealing with bias 17 related and hate crimes; 18 [4.] (d) the availability of counseling and other support services for 19 the victims of bias related and hate crimes; 20 [5.] (e) the nature of and common circumstances relating to bias 21 related and hate crimes on college campuses; and 22 [6.] (f) the methods the college employs to advise and to update 23 students about security procedures. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11206-01-5 
 A. 7876 2 1 2. Each college shall provide written material, such as flyers, 2 pamphlets, or similar, containing clear information on how and where to 3 report bias related and hate crimes, information on state and federal 4 requirements for reporting bias related and hate crimes, and protections 5 available to those who report bias related and hate crimes. Such materi- 6 als shall be made available and easily accessible to students, faculty, 7 and staff during bias related and hate crime prevention programming 8 required by subdivision one of this section, digitally on the insti- 9 tution's website, and in other locations students may find information, 10 such as libraries, admissions offices, deans' suites, and other 11 locations the college may deem appropriate. 12 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.