Senate Bill S10693

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10693
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             September 9, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. ROLISON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  enacting  Firefighter
   Joseph  P.  Spor  Jr.'s  Law  requiring the establishment of September
   eleventh awareness curriculum or instruction for school districts

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 "Firefighter Joseph P. Spor Jr.'s Law".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 820 to  read
 as follows:
   §  820.  SEPTEMBER  ELEVENTH  AWARENESS  CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION. 1.
 WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER,
 IN CONSULTATION WITH ANY APPROPRIATE AGENCY, SHALL  ESTABLISH  SEPTEMBER
 ELEVENTH (9/11) AWARENESS CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
 REGARDING THE SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH, TWO THOUSAND ONE ATTACKS ON THE UNITED
 STATES  OF  AMERICA AND THEIR ONGOING REPERCUSSIONS. THE CONTENT OF SUCH
 CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION MAY BE VARIED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF  PARTICULAR
 SCHOOL  DISTRICTS, OR PORTIONS THEREOF, AND NEED NOT BE UNIFORM THROUGH-
 OUT THE STATE.
   2. THE CONTENT OF SUCH CURRICULUM OR  INSTRUCTION  SHALL  INCLUDE  THE
 FOLLOWING CORE TENETS AND THEMES:
   (A) THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF TERRORISM;
   (B)  THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, THE PENTAGON AND
 UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 WHICH CRASHED IN SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA;
   (C) AMERICAN RECOVERY AND RESPONSE TO THE ATTACKS;
   (D) GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND CONSEQUENCES IN A POST-9/11 WORLD;
   (E) EXAMPLES OF HEROISM, RESILIENCE, AND SERVICE THAT  EMERGED  DURING
 AND AFTER 9/11 FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD; AND
   (F) THE GLOBAL RESPONSE TO TERRORISM FOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF 9/11.
   3. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE ON ITS WEBSITE CURRICULUM MATE-
 RIALS  AND  OTHER  AVAILABLE  RESOURCES REGARDING THE EVENTS AND SIGNIF-
 ICANCE OF SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH, TWO THOUSAND ONE,  FOR  VOLUNTARY  USE  BY
 SCHOOL  ENTITIES.  THE  EDUCATIONAL  RESOURCES USED IN THE CURRICULUM OR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07430-03-6
 S. 10693                            2
 
 INSTRUCTION SHALL BE AGE APPROPRIATE, FACTUALLY  ACCURATE,  AND  SOURCED
 FROM REPUTABLE SOURCES, AND SHALL AID IN STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
 HAPPENED  ON 9/11 AND IN ITS AFTERMATH, AND THE CONTINUING IMPORTANCE OF
 THE ATTACKS TODAY.
   4. A SCHOOL MAY INCLUDE THE CURRICULUM OR INSTRUCTION REQUIRED BY THIS
 SECTION  AS A COMPONENT OF ITS SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM OR IN ANY OTHER
 MANNER SUCH SCHOOL DEEMS APPROPRIATE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
 the  date  upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
 sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.