BILL NUMBER: S3906
SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to making certain
provisions applicable to public schools relating to instruction in
civility, citizenship and character education
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To amend Education Law section 801-a, relating to instruction in civili-
ty, citizenship and character, to explicitly state that the amendments
made to that section by chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, apply only to
public schools.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Section 801-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 102
of the laws of 2012, is amended
Section 2: This act shall take effect immediately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The primary content of chanter 102 of the laws of 2012, known as the
Dignity for All Students Act ("Dignity"), is set out in Article 2 of the
Education Law, entitled "Dignity for All Students." The Dignity Act
applies only to public schools. See, Education Law section 10, section
11(1), and section 17(1) (explicitly exempting private, religious and
denominational institutions). Chapter 102 also made changes to two other
sections of the Education Law, one of which was Education Law section
801-a. It was always the Legislature's intent that the language added to
section 801-a by Dignity would apply to the same schools as Article 2,
i.e., to public schools and not to private and religious schools.
Language making that intent explicit was inadvertently omitted from the
bill text. This technical chapter amendment corrects the inadvertent
omission.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S5142- Referred to Education
2021-22: S4392 - Referred to Education
2019-20: S.4376 - Referred to Education
2017-18: S.3078 - Referred to Education
2015-16: S.1409 - Referred to Education
2013-14: S.894 - Referred to Education
2011-12: S.5834/A.8310 -Passed assembly/Died in Education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

Statutes affected:
S3906: 801-a education law