New York S 8959: Relates to requirements for a course of instruction relating to the Irish potato famine

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S08959 Summary:

BILL NOS08959 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORWEBER

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §801, add §801-b, Ed L

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Relates to a course of instruction relating to the potato famine which resulted in mass starvation in Ireland from 1845-1850.

Go to top S08959 Actions:

BILL NOS08959 

&nbsp

01/21/2026REFERRED TO EDUCATION

02/24/2026RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN

Go to topS08959 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS08959 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS08959 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 8959

 IN SENATE

 January 21, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. WEBER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requirements for a
 course of instruction relating to the potato famine in Ireland

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 801 of the education law,
 2 as amended by section 27 of part A of chapter 56 of the laws of 2020,
 3 are amended to read as follows:
 4 1. In order to promote a spirit of patriotic and civic service and
 5 obligation and to foster in the children of the state moral and intel-
 6 lectual qualities which are essential in preparing to meet the obli-
 7 gations of citizenship in peace or in war, the regents of The University
 8 of the State of New York shall prescribe courses of instruction in
 9 patriotism, citizenship, civic education and values, our shared history
 10 of diversity, the role of religious tolerance in this country, and human
 11 rights issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity
 12 of genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground rail-
 13 road), the Holocaust, and the potato famine which resulted in mass star-
 14 vation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, to be maintained and followed in
 15 all the schools of the state. The boards of education and trustees of
 16 the several cities and school districts of the state shall require
 17 instruction to be given in such courses, by the teachers employed in the
 18 schools therein. All pupils attending such schools, over the age of
 19 eight years, shall attend upon such instruction.
 20 Similar courses of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in
 21 private schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools over eight
 22 years of age shall attend upon such courses. If such courses are not so
 23 established and maintained in a private school, attendance upon instruc-
 24 tion in such school shall not be deemed substantially equivalent to
 25 instruction given to pupils of like age in the public schools of the
 26 city or district in which such pupils reside.
 27 3. The regents shall determine the subjects to be included in such
 28 courses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, civic education and

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD14272-01-5

 S. 8959 2

 1 values, our shared history of diversity, the role of history of diversi-
 2 ty, the role of religious tolerance in this country, and human rights
 3 issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of
 4 genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground rail-
 5 road), the Holocaust, and the potato famine which resulted in mass star-
 6 vation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, in accordance with section eight
 7 hundred one-b of this article, and in the history, meaning, significance
 8 and effect of the provisions of the constitution of the United States,
 9 the amendments thereto, the declaration of independence, the constitu-
 10 tion of the state of New York and the amendments thereto, and the period
 11 of instruction in each of the grades in such subjects. They shall adopt
 12 rules providing for attendance upon such instruction and for such other
 13 matters as are required for carrying into effect the objects and
 14 purposes of this section. The commissioner shall be responsible for the
 15 enforcement of such section and shall cause to be inspected and super-
 16 vise the instructio