S 2425: Requires the regents to promulgate rules to allow and encourage the reading and posting in public schools excerpts of the writings and documents regarding American heritage.
The bill aims to promote the teaching of patriotism and citizenship in schools by encouraging the exposure of students to primary source documents of American history and heritage. The legislature finds it essential to maintain the integrity of these documents to prevent intentional or unintentional censorship. The bill requires the state education department to promulgate rules allowing teachers and administrators to read or post excerpts from key documents such as the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the writings of founding fathers. These documents include primary sources and historic records from various eras, including the pre-colonial, colonial, revolutionary, federalist, and post-federalist periods. The rules must ensure that there is no content-based censorship of American history or heritage in the state. The bill takes effect on the first day of September…
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO EDUCATION |
| Jan. 17, 2025 | REFERRED TO EDUCATION |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2425 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 17, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to courses of instruction in patriotism and citizenship and in certain historic documents 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 and 2 declares that exposure of students to primary source documents giving 3 record of American history and heritage should be encouraged. It is 4 important that the integrity of such historical documents be maintained 5 to preclude intentional or unintentional censorship of the writings, 6 documents and records documenting American history and heritage. 7 § 2. Section 801 of the education law is amended by adding a new 8 subdivision 6 to read as follows: 9 6. The regents shall promulgate rules which shall permit the boards of 10 education and trustees of the several cities and school districts of the 11 state to allow and encourage any teacher or administrator in a public 12 school district of this state to read or post in a public school build- 13 ing, classroom, or event excerpts or portions of the preamble to the 14 state constitution of New York; the declaration of independence; the 15 constitution of the United States; the mayflower compact; the national 16 motto; the national anthem; the pledge of allegiance; the writings, 17 speeches, documents and proclamations of the founding fathers and presi- 18 dents of the United States; organic documents from the pre-colonial, 19 colonial, revolutionary, federalist, and post-federalist eras; United 20 States supreme court decisions; acts of the United States congress 21 including the published text of the congressional record; and any other 22 primary source or historic document. Such rules shall provide that there 23 be no content based censorship of American history or heritage in this 24 state with reference to these writings, documents, and records. 25 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of September next 26 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective imme- 27 diately, any rules necessary for the timely implementation of this act 28 on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05910-01-5