Bill > A00194

This bill enacts the "New York City Caribbean Steel Pan Educational Music Program Act," which amends the education law to require community school boards in New York City to authorize, where reasonable, the use of school grounds during summer months for steel pan music organizations to practice for the Labor Day Parade (West Indian Carnival). The bill specifically modifies existing regulations to allow cultural organizations, with a particular focus on steel pan music groups, to use school facilities when they are not being used for educational purposes. The goal is to provide access to practice spaces for groups preparing for important cultural events, ensuring that such use is non-exclusive and open to the general public. Steel pan is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago, typically used in Caribbean music, and the Labor Day Parade is a significant cultural celebration of West Indian heritage in New York City. The bill aims to support cultural preservation and community engagement by facilitating access to practice spaces for these musical groups. The amendments will take effect 90 days after becoming law, with provisions for immediate preparation of necessary regulations.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A194