Authorizes a survey regarding instruction on the Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander history within the state; establishes an advisory committee, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7855--E
     Cal. No. 1558
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. LIU, MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed  to  be  committed  to the Committee on Education -- committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
   reprinted  as  amended  and recommitted to said committee -- committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
   reprinted  as  amended  and recommitted to said committee -- committee
   discharged and said bill  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Rules  --
   ordered  to  a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining
   its place in the order of third reading
 
 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; 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:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known as the "New York  AANHPI  Education
 Equity Act".
   §  2.  (a) The commissioner of education is authorized and directed to
 conduct a survey regarding instruction on Asian American, Native Hawaii-
 ans and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history within the state. Such  survey
 shall  focus on identifying the extent to which school districts provide
 instruction on Asian American, Native  Hawaiians  and  Pacific  Islander
 (AANHPI)  history.   Such survey shall include as appropriate, questions
 on how the district is providing such instruction,  including,  but  not
 limited to, the following:
   (1)   how  the  department's  learning  standards  inform  the  school
 district's teaching of AANHPI history;
   (2) which grade levels are being taught about AANHPI history;
   (3) how much instructional time is devoted to AANHPI history;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11851-14-5
 S. 7855--E                          2
 
   (4) what are the school district's social studies curricula  that  are
 used in the district, and who publishes curricula;
   (5) what challenges and/or barriers do districts face in incorporating
 AANHPI history into the curriculum;
   (6)  do  educators  receive  any  training or professional development
 regarding AANHPI history; and
   (7) are there assessments or evaluations  to  measure  student  under-
 standing of AANHPI history.
   (b)  Findings  shall  include  detailed  results of the survey, and if
 needed, recommendations to implement or strengthen such  instruction.  A
 report  of  the findings of such survey shall be delivered to the gover-
 nor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly,
 the minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the  assem-
 bly the first of January following the effective date of this act or one
 hundred  twenty  days after the effective date of this act, whichever is
 later.
   § 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 805 to  read
 as follows:
   §  805.  ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HISTORY
 ADVISORY COMMITTEE; APPOINTMENT; POWERS AND DUTIES. 1.  THE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL ESTABLISH AN ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDER
 (AANHPI) HISTORY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
   2. (A) THE COMMITTEE  SHALL  BE  COMPRISED  OF  FOUR  MEMBERS,  TO  BE
 APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:
   (I) ONE MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR;
   (II) ONE MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE;
   (III) ONE MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY; AND
   (IV) ONE MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   (B)  ALL  MEMBERS APPOINTED TO THE COMMITTEE SHALL BE EXPERTS IN ASIAN
 AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND/OR PACIFIC ISLANDER STUDIES AND/OR HAVE A
 BACKGROUND IN EDUCATIONAL INSTRUCTION AND/OR EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION.
   (C) ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL BE APPOINTED WITHIN NINETY DAYS
 OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   3. VACANCIES IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL BE FILLED IN THE
 SAME MANNER PROVIDED FOR ORIGINAL APPOINTMENTS.
   4. THE COMMITTEE SHALL MEET NO LESS THAN FOUR TIMES PER YEAR.
   5. THE COMMITTEE SHALL PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FOLLOWING:
   (A) HIGH-QUALITY K-12 CURRICULAR AND INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES ON AANHPI
 HISTORY; AND
   (B) STRATEGIES FOR STRENGTHENING AND DEEPENING PUBLIC  K-12  EDUCATION
 PROGRAMS  IN  THE  AREAS  OF  AANHPI  HISTORY, INCLUDING ANALYSIS OF THE
 SURVEY REFERENCED IN SECTION TWO OF THE CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOU-
 SAND TWENTY-FIVE THAT ADDED THIS SECTION.
   6. THE COMMITTEE SHALL SUBMIT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSION-
 ER NO LATER THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION  AND
 BE DISBANDED THEREAFTER.
   7. COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHALL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SERVICES,
 BUT SHALL BE ALLOWED THEIR ACTUAL AND NECESSARY EXPENSES INCURRED IN THE
 PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.
   8.  TO  EFFECTUATE  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE COMMITTEE MAY
 REQUEST FROM ANY DEPARTMENT, BOARD, BUREAU, COMMISSION OR  OTHER  AGENCY
 OF  THE  STATE, AND THE SAME ARE AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE, SUCH COOPERATION
 AND ASSISTANCE, SERVICES AND DATA AS WILL ENABLE THE COMMITTEE TO  PROP-
 ERLY CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   §  4.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed 3 years after such date.