Requires the public school curriculum for children in kindergarten through grade twelve to include a minimum of two hours per week instruction in civics lessons.
This bill amends the Education Law to require New York public schools to provide a civics-related instruction component for students in kindergarten through grade 12. The bill directs the Regents to ensure that the curriculum includes civility, citizenship, and character education, with instruction on honesty, tolerance, racial and global harmony, media literacy, personal responsibility, morals and ethics, respect for others, and the discouragement of harassment, bullying, and discrimination. It also adds instruction on the safe and responsible use of the internet and electronic communications.
The bill further requires school boards and trustees to provide this instruction for a minimum of two hours per week beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. It applies to all public school pupils over age five and gives the Regents and the Commissioner authority to determine how the new requirements are incorporated into existing curricula and to adopt any necessary regulations. The bill also expands the statutory definition of civility and respect to include sensitivity to harassment and discrimination based on race, weight, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, and sex.
If enacted, the bill would impose a new statewide curricular mandate on public schools and would amend section 801-a of the Education Law to make civics and character education a required weekly instructional component. It would affect the State Education Department, the Board of Regents, local boards of education, trustees, teachers, and public school students in kindergarten through grade 12. The measure would also require schools to integrate internet safety and responsible digital communication into existing instruction and would likely require curriculum planning, scheduling adjustments, and possible regulatory guidance.
No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears framed as a broadly affirmative education policy focused on civics, character development, and anti-bullying values, which are typically presented in a positive light. The absence of recorded votes or discussion prevents a reliable assessment of legislative momentum or partisan sentiment.
The main potential points of contention are the bill’s mandate of at least two hours per week of instruction, which could raise concerns about local control, instructional time, and implementation burden for school districts. Another possible issue is the breadth of the required content, including references to race, weight, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, and sex, which could prompt debate over curriculum scope and how such topics are taught. Schools and educators may also question how the Regents and Commissioner will define compliance and fit the requirement into already crowded curricula.