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S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8044
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
May 15, 2025
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Introduced by Sen. BYNOE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Libraries
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the
libraries literacy education guidance act
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "libraries
2 literacy education guidance act".
3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 286 to read
4 as follows:
5 § 286. LIBRARIES LITERACY EDUCATION GUIDANCE. 1. ONE YEAR AFTER THE
6 EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE STATE LIBRARIAN, IN CONSULTATION
7 WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND ANY OTHER GROUP DEEMED NECESSARY, SHALL
8 PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES FOR LITERACY EDUCATION,
9 FOCUSING ON READING COMPETENCY IN THE AREAS OF PHONEMIC AWARENESS, PHON-
10 ICS, VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT, READING FLUENCY, COMPREHENSION, INCLUDING
11 BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, ORAL LANGUAGE AND WRITING, AND ORAL SKILL DEVELOP-
12 MENT, FOR STUDENTS IN PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE FIVE BASED ON THE
13 INSTRUCTIONAL BEST PRACTICES ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONER, PURSUANT
14 TO SECTION EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTEEN OF THE EDUCATION LAW. THE STATE
15 LIBRARIAN, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND ANY OTHER GROUP
16 DEEMED NECESSARY, SHALL ALSO PROVIDE MODIFIED GUIDANCE FOR STUDENTS
17 BEYOND GRADE FIVE AND ADULTS. SUCH GUIDANCE SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO
18 EVERY PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ASSOCIATION LIBRARY IN NEW YORK STATE.
19 2. SUCH GUIDANCE MAY INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO TEXTS, EDUCATION
20 TECHNOLOGY, PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION, AND PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS.
21 3. THE STATE LIBRARIAN SHALL UPDATE SUCH GUIDANCE EVERY TWO YEARS AND
22 SHALL CONSIDER FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND ASSOCIATION
23 LIBRARIES TO WHICH THE GUIDANCE IS DISTRIBUTED.
24 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08094-05-5