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Senate bill · S1378 (2025-26)

Relates to the provision of financial assistance to museums, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums and other cultural institutions located in low-income urban…

New York State Senate

Same as A6473, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Latest action Jun 1, 2026

Sponsor: José M. Serrano (State Senator, District 29, Democratic/Working Families)

Official titleShow

Relates to the provision of financial assistance to museums, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums and other cultural institutions located in low-income urban, suburban or rural communities

The heading above is this same sentence with its legal opening removed. No words were added, changed or reordered.

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From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 19, 2026. About our data

Summary

Relates to the provision of financial assistance to museums, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums and other cultural institutions located in low-income urban, suburban or rural communities, or that provide educational services to students from such communities.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

This bill establishes education grants for museums. These competitive grants would go to museums and eligible educational institutions located in low-income communities throughout New York State, as well as insti- tutions providing educational programming to low-income communities. Museums and cultural institutions providing educational programming to low-income communities would create or expand curriculum-based programs for students, teachers, and adult learners. The grants can be utilized to develop curricula, acquire specialized technology and skills, prepare exhibitions, and facilitate transportation for students to visit these educational venues. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) would provide these grants through applications approved by the Commis- sioner of Education.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

Committee

Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation · New York State Senate

Also referred to Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development · New York State Assembly.

Your position on this bill

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Cosponsors

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab)
  • Democratic12
  • Republican4

This bill has cosponsors from more than one party.

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

Show the full list (16 names)

The sponsor's argument

Why José M. Serrano says this is needed

New York State has more museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens and aquaria than any other state. Many of these institutions are among the leaders in the world in their fields of art, history, science, and natural history. As many as 60 million visitors, including over 6 million school children, visit New York's museums and institutions each year. The economic impact of which is well into the billions of dollars statewide. However, many of our tourist and educational destinations are struggling financially to keep their doors open, and provide the needed services to students and adult learners. Since 2008, school districts statewide have been forced to cut their budgets. Unfortunately many have also cut their transportation budgets, creating an inability to transport students to their local and regional museums. Sadly, this reality has effectively cut off many of New York's students from educational field trips. Additionally, it has also caused economic harm to the once visit- ed museums and institutions because of a loss of revenue. The Museum Education Act (MEA) will help reverse this trend and provide our students and adult learners the opportunities to attend the museums and institutions that are eager to serve them. This is at no cost to local school districts. The MEA will strengthen the educational competi- tiveness of New York's students and adult learners while strengthening local economies in the process.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 1, 2026Result: passed

    (60) (0) (0) (3)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Rules

    Senate RulesMay 28, 2026Result: passed

    (21) (0) (0) (0)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation

    Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And RecreationMar 17, 2026Result: passed

    (7) (0) (0) (0)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 10, 2025Result: passed

    (58) (0) (0) (5)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Rules

    Senate RulesJun 4, 2025Result: passed

    (20) (0) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation

    Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And RecreationMay 20, 2025Result: passed

    (7) (0) (0) (0)

Full history

  1. Jun 1, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  2. Jun 1, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  3. Jun 1, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO TOURISM, PARKS, ARTS AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

    NY Assembly

  4. May 28, 2026

    In committee

    COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  5. May 28, 2026

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1345

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1345

    NY Senate

Show full history (14 earlier events)
  1. Mar 17, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE

    NY Senate

  2. Jan 7, 2026

    Died in Assembly

    DIED IN ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  3. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

    NY Senate

  4. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO TOURISM, PARKS, ARTS AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

    NY Assembly

  5. Jun 10, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  6. Jun 10, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  7. Jun 10, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO TOURISM, PARKS, ARTS AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

    NY Assembly

  8. Jun 5, 2025

    Amend and Recommit to Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO TOURISM, PARKS, ARTS AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

    NY Assembly

  9. Jun 5, 2025

    Amended

    AMENDED ON THIRD READING 1378A

    NY Senate

  10. Jun 4, 2025

    In committee

    COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  11. Jun 4, 2025

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1522

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1522

    NY Senate

  12. May 20, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE

    NY Senate

  13. Mar 5, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO TOURISM, PARKS, ARTS AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

    NY Assembly

  14. Jan 9, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

    NY Senate

Read the record