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Bill

A 10803

Establishes a state seal of artistic achievement

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Monique Chandler-Waterman and 7 co-sponsors

New York will create a voluntary State Seal of Artistic Achievement on diplomas/transcripts for high schoolers who meet advanced art criteria in specified disciplines.

REFERRED TO EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · A 10803

Overview

  • Bill: A 10803
  • Session: 2025-2026
  • Jurisdiction: New York
  • Introduced by: Assembly Member Erik Dilan (with multiple co-sponsors)
  • Committee: Education
  • Purpose: Establish a New York State Seal of Artistic Achievement to recognize high school graduates who demonstrate high proficiency in one or more of five artistic areas (music, dance, theater, visual arts, media arts). Participation by school districts is voluntary.

Main Purpose and Intent

  • Create a state-recognized seal on diplomas and transcripts to acknowledge advanced achievement in the arts.
  • Provide a standardized mechanism for identifying students with notable artistic skills to benefit postsecondary admissions, employment, and workforce development.
  • Emphasize the value of arts education and aim to prepare students with 21st-century skills.

Key Provisions

  1. Establishment and Awarding

    • Establishes the State Seal of Artistic Achievement.
    • Awarded by the New York State Education Department (the commissioner).
    • Participation is voluntary for school districts.

  2. Eligible Art Areas

    • Five permitted disciplines: music, dance, theater, visual arts, and media arts.

  3. Criteria for Earned Seal

    • Criteria set by the Board of Regents (via regulations promulgated by the commissioner).
    • Eligibility requires either:
      • Attainment of additional units of credit in one or more artistic areas beyond the high school diploma requirements, or
      • Completion of a specified number of hours in a relevant artistic extracurricular activity.
    • Importantly, GPA and standardized assessment scores are not used to determine eligibility.

  4. Insignia and Documentation

    • The commissioner must provide an insignia to participating districts to affix to the student’s diploma and transcript indicating the seal.
    • Districts must provide any other information needed to support program participation.

  5. District Responsibilities

    • Participating districts must maintain records to identify students who earn the seal.
    • Districts must affix the insignia to the diploma and transcript of qualified students.
    • No fee may be charged to students for the seal.

  6. Effective Date and Implementation

    • Effective July 1 of the year after enactment.
    • Immediate authority to promulgate and implement necessary regulations to ensure readiness by the effective date.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Public high school students who participate in and meet the established artistic criteria.
  • School districts in New York, which would administer the program, track eligible students, and affix insignias.
  • Employers and universities may gain an additional signal of a student’s artistic proficiency during admissions and hiring processes.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Legislative path: Introduced and referred to the Education Committee (April 1, 2026).
  • Effective date: July 1 following enactment.
  • Regulatory process: The commissioner and Board of Regents would develop criteria and regulations to define “units of credit” or “hours of extracurricular activity” required for eligibility.
  • Implementation: Districts would have to establish records and affix insignia starting with the first graduating class eligible under the new criteria after the act takes effect.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

  • Academic Focus: Elevates the importance of arts education within public schools and aligns with 21st-century skill development.
  • Equity and Access: Voluntary district participation may lead to variation in how widely the seal is adopted; implementation considerations may include resources for maintaining records and verifying criteria.
  • Postsecondary and Workforce Signals: Provides universities and employers with a formal recognition of advanced artistic achievement beyond traditional diploma requirements.
  • Administrative Burden: Requires districts to maintain eligibility records and ensure proper insignia placement on diplomas and transcripts; no student fees associated with the seal.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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