S 4081: Relates to instruction in food, agriculture and nutrition in elementary and high school; contents may be varied to meet the needs of particular school districts; need not be uniform throughout the state; school districts shall utilize either the curriculum for health education instruction regarding food, agriculture and nutrition prescribed by the commissioner or a course approved by the commissioner in accordance with criteria established by the commissioner.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4081 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 31, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 instruction in food, agriculture and nutrition 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 804-e 2 to read as follows: 3 § 804-e. Health education regarding food, agriculture and nutrition. 4 1. All schools shall include, as an integral part of health education, 5 instruction on food, agriculture and nutrition to promote eating behav- 6 ior that enhances the health and well-being of the students. 7 2. Instruction regarding food, agriculture and nutrition shall be 8 included in the health education provided for all elementary school 9 pupils and shall be taught by the regular classroom teachers or by 10 teachers certified to teach health education. Such instruction shall be 11 designed according to the needs and abilities of the pupils at succes- 12 sive grade levels with the purpose of developing desirable health behav- 13 ior, attitudes and knowledge, as well as self-reliance and problem solv- 14 ing capacity. 15 3. Instruction regarding food, agriculture and nutrition, in addition 16 to continued health guidance in high schools, shall be an integral part 17 of a required health education course at each level in the secondary 18 school's curriculum. Any such course shall be taught by teachers holding 19 a certificate to teach health. Related courses in the secondary school 20 curriculum shall be taught in a manner supportive of health education 21 regarding food, agriculture and nutrition. 22 4. The commissioner may prescribe such regulations regarding instruc- 23 tion on food, agriculture and nutrition as the commissioner may deem 24 necessary and desirable for the health and welfare of pupils and the 25 community. The contents may be varied to meet the needs of particular EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02544-01-5 
 S. 4081 2 1 school districts, or portions thereof, and need not be uniform through- 2 out the state, provided, however, that school districts shall utilize 3 either the curriculum for health education instruction regarding food, 4 agriculture and nutrition prescribed by the commissioner or a course 5 approved by the commissioner in accordance with criteria established by 6 the commissioner. 7 5. School authorities shall provide the needed facilities, time and 8 place for the instruction set forth in this section and shall provide 9 learning aids and curriculum resource materials which contribute to 10 effective teaching methods and learning in health education regarding 11 food, agriculture and nutrition. 12 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 13 the date on which it shall have become a law.