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A129 • 2025

Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma to the Excelsior diploma

Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma to the Excelsior diploma

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
John Zaccaro Jr.
Last action
2026-04-27
Official status
Assembly Floor Calendar
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma to the Excelsior diploma

Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma to the Excelsior diploma Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma, formerly known as the general education development (GED) program, to the Excelsior diploma.

What This Bill Does

  • Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma to the Excelsior diploma Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma, formerly known as the general education development (GED) program, to the Excelsior diploma.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-27 Assembly

    AMENDED ON THIRD READING 129C

  2. 2026-04-23 Assembly

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING CAL.346

  3. 2026-04-22 Assembly

    REPORTED

  4. 2026-01-07 Assembly

    REFERRED TO EDUCATION

  5. 2025-05-27 Assembly

    REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES

  6. 2025-05-23 Assembly

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO EDUCATION

  7. 2025-05-23 Assembly

    PRINT NUMBER 129B

  8. 2025-02-13 Assembly

    AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO EDUCATION

  9. 2025-02-13 Assembly

    PRINT NUMBER 129A

  10. 2025-01-08 Assembly

    REFERRED TO EDUCATION

Official Summary Text

Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma to the Excelsior diploma
Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma, formerly known as the general education development (GED) program, to the Excelsior diploma.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           129

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                  I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                       (PREFILED)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. ZACCARO, CRUZ, DAVILA, HEVESI, DeSTEFANO, MANKTE-
          LOW,  RAMOS, CHANDLER-WATERMAN, JONES, BROOK-KRASNY -- Multi-Sponsored
          by -- M. of A.  REYES -- read once and referred to  the  Committee  on
          Education

        AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to changing the name of
          the general education development diploma to the Excelsior high school
          diploma

          THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section  1.    Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a
     2  new subdivision 63 to read as follows:
     3    63. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO  CHANGE
     4  THE  NAME  OF  THE STATE HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMA, AS ESTABLISHED
     5  PURSUANT TO THE COMMISSIONER'S REGULATIONS, TO THE EXCELSIOR HIGH SCHOOL
     6  DIPLOMA.
     7    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
     8  have become a law. Effective immediately, the amendment, addition and/or
     9  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    10  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    11  on or before such effective date.




         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00560-01-5