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NY A05821

Bill

Status

Introduced

2/20/2025

Primary Sponsor

Linda Rosenthal

Click for details

Origin

Assembly

2025-2026 General Assembly

AI Summary

  • Requires teachers to complete a minimum of 5 hours of media literacy professional development during each 5-year registration period, while library media specialists must complete 15 hours

  • Mandates every school district employ a certified school library media specialist in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high, and senior high school within 3 years, with staffing levels scaled by enrollment (from 0.15 FTE for schools under 100 students to 2 FTE specialists plus support staff for schools with 2,000+ students)

  • Directs the Commissioner of Education to appoint a media literacy advisory committee to study current teaching practices, survey schools statewide, and report findings with recommendations to the governor and legislature within one year

  • Creates a permanent media literacy advisory committee within the Education Department beginning in the 2025-2026 school year to annually review and update media literacy policies and procedures

  • Expands the definition of school library materials to include audio/visual, online, and electronic materials needed for media literacy programs

Legislative Description

Enacts the "media literacy act"; requires teachers and library media specialists to complete professional development related to media literacy education; requires a school library media specialist in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high school; directs the commissioner of education to appoint a media literacy advisory committee to study the teaching of media literacy; creates a media literacy advisory committee to annually review policy and procedures on media literacy.

Last Action

referred to education

1/7/2026

Committee Referrals

Education2/20/2025

Full Bill Text

No bill text available