NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A798
SPONSOR: Rosenthal (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to expanding the require-
ments for teaching humane education to secondary school students and
provides for the verification of compliance of such instruction
PURPOSE:
This bill expands the requirements for teaching humane education to
secondary school students.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 and 1 (a) amend subdivision 1 of section 809 of the education
law, as amended by chapter 542 of the laws of 1994, to require that the
officer, board, or commission authorized or required to prescribe cours-
es of instruction shall cause instruction to be given in every elementa-
ry school under state control or supported wholly or partly by public
money of the state in the humane treatment and protection of animals.
Section 1 (b) requires that that the officer, board, or commission
authorized or required to prescribe courses of instruction shall cause
instruction to be given in every secondary school under state control or
supported wholly or partly by public money of the state in the humane
treatment and protection of animals. The commissioner shall determine
how to incorporate such instruction in existing curricula and shall
promulgate any regulations needed to carry out such determination.
Section 1 (c) states that a school district shall not be entitled to
receive public school funding on behalf of any school subject to the
provisions of this section if that school fails to provide the instruc-
tion required pursuant to this section.
Section 2 sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill is needed to ensure that elementary and secondary school
students in New York State are properly instructed in the humane treat-
ment and protection of animals and the importance of the part they play
in the economy of nature as well as the necessity of controlling the
proliferation of animals which are subsequently abandoned and caused to
suffer extreme cruelty. For secondary school students, such instruction
would involve educating students about the principles of kindness to and
respect for animals and the proper observance of laws and rules pertain-
ing to their humane treatment.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.416 - Referred to Education; S.4533 - Referred to Education
2021-22: A.2082 - Referred to Education; S.7670 - Referred to Education
2019-20: A.1063-A - Referred to Education
2017-18: A.2137 - Referred to Education
2015-16: A.518 - Referred to Education
2013-14: A.782 - Referred to Education
2011-12: A.1925 - Referred to Education
2009-10: A.6126 - Referred to Education
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Undetermined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
798
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, COLTON, STERN, DINOWITZ, SIMONE,
KELLES, DAVILA, EPSTEIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GLICK --
read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to expanding the require-
ments for teaching humane education to secondary school students and
provides for the verification of compliance of such instruction
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 809 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 542 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. a. The officer, board or commission authorized or required to
5 prescribe courses of instruction shall cause instruction to be given in
6 every elementary school under state control or supported wholly or part-
7 ly by public money of the state, in the humane treatment and protection
8 of animals and the importance of the part they play in the economy of
9 nature as well as the necessity of controlling the proliferation of
10 animals which are subsequently abandoned and caused to suffer extreme
11 cruelty. Such instruction shall be for such period of time during each
12 school year as the board of regents may prescribe and may be joined with
13 work in literature, reading, language, nature study or ethnology. Such
14 weekly instruction may be divided into two or more periods.
15 b. The officer, board, or commission authorized or required to
16 prescribe courses of instruction shall cause instruction to be given in
17 every secondary school under state control or supported wholly or partly
18 by public money of the state, in the humane treatment and protection of
19 animals and the importance of the part they play in the economy of
20 nature as well as the necessity of controlling the proliferation of
21 animals which are subsequently abandoned and caused to suffer extreme
22 cruelty. Such instruction shall include educating students on the prin-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02615-01-5
A. 798 2
1 ciples of kindness to and respect for animals and observance of laws and
2 rules pertaining to the humane treatment of animals. The commissioner
3 shall determine how to incorporate such instruction in existing curric-
4 ula and the commissioner shall promulgate any regulations needed to
5 carry out such determination.
6 c. A school district shall not be entitled to participate in the
7 public school money on account of any school or the attendance at any
8 school subject to the provisions of this section, if the instruction
9 required [hereby] pursuant to this section is not given therein.
10 § 2. Section 809 of the education law is amended by adding a new
11 subdivision 7 to read as follows:
12 7. Compliance records. The commissioner shall maintain records verify-
13 ing school compliance with the provisions of this section and shall make
14 such information available to the public, including on its website.
15 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
16 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
17 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
18 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
19 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
