3611. Racial and cultural awareness fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commissioner of taxation and finance a fund to be known as the racial and cultural awareness fund.
2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received from any source, public or private, for the purposes provided in this section and all other moneys credited or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law. No monies from the state general fund shall be transferred to, or otherwise made available for deposit into this fund.
3. Moneys of the fund, following appropriation by the legislature, may be expended for operational and planning grants to local school districts to promote racial and cultural understanding and awareness, as provided in this section. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on the audit and warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner.
4. A school district, or two or more school districts acting jointly, shall be eligible to receive a planning or operational grant, or both, pursuant to the provisions of this section for the purposes of developing and implementing programs designed to meet local needs in the reduction and prevention of racial and cultural conflict, such programs to be approved by the commissioner in accordance with regulations adopted by him for such purpose. A school district which applies for a planning grant pursuant to subdivision five of this section for such new programs shall not be eligible for an operational grant pursuant to subdivision six of this section until the school year following the year in which the planning grant was received. For purposes of this section as applied within the city of New York, such city school district shall be eligible for multiple awards on behalf of each community school district or high school district as though each was a separate school district.
5. A school district shall be eligible to apply for a planning grant on a one-year competitive basis for the purpose of planning for the implementation of programs for prevention and reduction of racial and cultural conflict. Applications shall be evaluated on a competitive basis and such grants shall be awarded accordingly. Applications shall include the planning budget and program description for prevention and reduction of racial and cultural conflict. A school district which receives a competitive planning grant and implements a successful planning program shall be eligible to apply for a two-year operational grant. Reports may be required for the purposes of program evaluation.
6. A school district shall be eligible to receive an operational grant over a two-year period as provided in this section for programs for the prevention and reduction of racial and cultural conflict. First-year applications shall be evaluated on a competitive basis and grants shall be awarded accordingly. Both first-year applications and continuing applications shall include the operating budget and program description for prevention and reduction of racial and cultural conflict for approval of the proposed program and the estimated expenditures for the current year. Reports may be required as necessary for the purposes of program evaluation.
7. An advisory committee shall be established and assigned to the department to consult, review and make recommendations concerning policy, procedure, program content and community needs. Such advisory committee shall consist of ten members appointed by the commissioner. Such appointees shall include representatives from civil/human rights organizations; educators; community-based organizations and members of parent associations.
8. The commissioner may adopt rules and regulations as are necessary and appropriate to carry out the provisions of this section.
9. The commissioner shall issue an annual report to the legislature concerning the overall and individual programs, detailing their impact; and shall include any report or materials produced by the advisory committee.
Last modified: February 3, 2019