Makes certain provisions applicable to public schools relating to instruction in civility, citizenship and character education.
This bill amends the Education Law to clarify that the state’s civility, citizenship, and character education requirements apply to public schools. It directs the Regents to ensure that instruction in grades kindergarten through 12 includes a component on honesty, tolerance, personal responsibility, respect for others, courtesy, dignity, and observance of laws and rules. The bill also keeps the existing requirement that students be taught the safe and responsible use of the internet and electronic communications.
The measure further specifies that, for public schools, the concepts of tolerance, respect for others, and dignity include awareness and sensitivity to harassment, bullying, discrimination, and civility across differences in race, weight, national origin, ethnicity, religion, religious practice, mental or physical ability, sexual orientation, gender, and sex. It authorizes the Regents to determine how to incorporate the instruction into existing curricula and directs the commissioner to adopt any needed regulations. The bill takes effect immediately.
The bill would amend section 801-a of the Education Law by making explicit that the civility, citizenship, and character education mandate applies to public schools. In practice, it would reinforce and broaden the scope of required instruction in K-12 curricula, while leaving implementation details to the Regents and the commissioner. Schools would need to ensure their instructional materials and policies align with the expanded statutory language, particularly regarding anti-bullying, anti-discrimination, and digital citizenship education.
No committee transcript or vote history is available, so there is no recorded debate or formal vote pattern to gauge legislative sentiment. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears framed as a broadly supportive education policy aimed at promoting respectful conduct, inclusivity, and student safety. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials suggests no documented controversy in the available record.
The main substantive issue is the bill’s expansion and clarification of what civility and respect mean in public school instruction, especially the explicit inclusion of race, weight, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, and sex. Supporters would likely view this as a necessary anti-bullying and anti-discrimination update, while any concerns would likely center on curriculum scope, implementation burden, or how schools interpret and teach sensitive topics. Because no transcripts or votes are provided, no specific lawmakers, groups, or objections can be identified from the record.