S 7855: Authorizes the commissioner of education to conduct a survey regarding instruction on Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander history within the state; establishes an Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander history advisory committee; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7855 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE May 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. LIU -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT in relation to authorizing the commissioner of education to conduct a survey regarding instruction on Asian American, Native Hawa- iians and Pacific Islander history within the state; and to amend the education law, in relation to establishing an Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander history advisory committee; and provid- ing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. (a) The commissioner of education is authorized and 2 directed to conduct a survey regarding instruction on Asian American, 3 Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history within the state. 4 Such survey shall focus on identifying which school districts provide 5 instruction on Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander 6 (AANHPI) history. Such survey shall include as appropriate, questions 7 on how the district is providing such instruction, including the follow- 8 ing, but not limited to: 9 (1) how do the learning standards inform your teaching of AANHPI 10 history; 11 (2) what grades are being taught about AANHPI topics; 12 (3) how much instructional time is devoted to AANHPI topics; 13 (4) what are your social studies curricula that are used in the 14 district, and who publishes curricula; 15 (5) what challenges and/or barriers do educators face in incorporating 16 AANHPI topics into the curriculum; 17 (6) do educators receive any training or professional development 18 regarding AANHPI topics; and 19 (7) are there assessments or evaluations to measure student under- 20 standing of AANHPI topics, and if so, are students meeting educators' 21 expectations. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11851-03-5 
 S. 7855 2 1 (b) Such survey shall also require an attestation from each school 2 district superintendent that indicates instruction related to AANHPI 3 history is provided at all appropriate grade levels. 4 (c) Findings shall include detailed results of the survey, and if 5 needed, recommendations to implement or strengthen such instruction. A 6 report of the findings of such survey shall be delivered to the gover- 7 nor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, 8 the minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the assem- 9 bly the first of January following the effective date of this act or one 10 hundred twenty days after the effective date of this act, whichever is 11 later. 12 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 805 to read 13 as follows: 14 § 805. Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander history 15 advisory committee; appointment; powers and duties. 1. The commissioner 16 shall establish an Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander 17 (AANHPI) history advisory committee. 18 2. (a) The committee shall be comprised of four members, to be 19 appointed as follows: 20 (i) one member appointed by the governor; 21 (ii) one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate; 22 (iii) one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly; and 23 (iv) one member appointed by the commissioner. 24 (b) All members appointed to the committee shall be experts in Asian 25 American, Native Hawaiians and/or Pacific Islander studies and/or have a 26 background in educational instruction and or educational administration. 27 (c) All members of the committee shall be appointed within ninety days 28 of the effective date of this section. 29 3. Vacancies in the membership of the committee shall be filled in the 30 same manner provided for original appointments. 31 4. The committee shall meet no less than four times per year. 32 5. The committee shall have the powers and duties to: 33 (a) evaluate the extent to which AANHPI content is incorporated into 34 current state learning standards; 35 (b) evaluate the current ways AANHPI history is taught in classrooms; 36 and 37 (c) make recommendations on how to include AANHPI content into the 38 state learning standards, key aspects of the subject matter that should 39 be included in the instruction, and ways to integrate AANHPI history 40 into existing courses. 41 6. The committee shall submit a written report to the commissioner no 42 later than two years after the effective date of this section detailing 43 its findings and recommendations. 44 7. Committee members shall receive no compensation for their services, 45 but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the 46 performance of their duties. 47 8. To effectuate the purposes of this section, the committee may 48 request from any department, board, bureau, commission or other agency 49 of the state, and the same are authorized to provide, such cooperation 50 and assistance, services and data as will enable the committee to prop- 51 erly carry out its functions pursuant to this section. 52 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; and shall expire and be 53 deemed repealed three years after such effective date.