New York Laws
Part 1 - General Provisions
3611 - Racial and Cultural Awareness Fund.

§ 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.