New York Becomes First State to Require Colleges and Universities to Appoint Title VI Coordinators

On August 26, 2025, Governor Hochul signed legislation[1] requiring all New York colleges and universities to designate a Title VI coordinator to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.[2]

Announcing the new law, Governor Hochul stated that New York is placing Title VI coordinators on campuses to “combat[ ] antisemitism and all forms of discrimination head-on….”[3]

The law takes effect on August 26, 2026. Within 90 days of that date – no later than November 24, 2026 – each institution must appoint a Title VI coordinator.[4] The coordinator will be responsible for recordkeeping related to reports and complaints of discrimination and harassment, as well as for receiving complaints based on race, color, or national origin.[5] Governor Hochul’s office noted that New York is the first state to enact such a requirement.[6]

Under the statute, Title VI coordinators must:[7]

• Provide supportive measures for students who file complaints;
• Notify reporting students of the institution’s Title VI policies and procedures; and
• Ensure there is a process for investigating and resolving complaints.

In addition, coordinators must notify all students and employees each academic year of the institution’s reporting procedures.[8] The annual notice must include the institution’s nondiscrimination policy statement, website links to reporting procedures, the coordinator’s contact information, and any other information deemed necessary.[9]

Beginning with the first full academic year after the law takes effect on August 26, 2026, institutions must also provide annual training for students and employees to ensure compliance.[10]

Should you have any questions about the impact of this law on your institution’s policies and practices, please contact Jennifer McLaughlin (jmclaughlin@cullenllp.com), Dina Vespia (dvespia@cullenllp.com), or Jordan Milite (jmilite@cullenllp.com).

This advisory provides a brief overview of the most significant changes in the law and does not constitute legal advice. Nothing herein creates an attorney-client relationship between the sender and recipient.

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Footnotes

[1] New York State Assembly Bill (A5448-B) (available at: https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2025/A5448B?bcs-agent-scanner=9ab2f102-22dd-0d45-a699-1d768c63b37c).

[2] Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d (2025).

[3] Press Release, Governor Kathy Hochul, Governor Hochul Signs Landmark Legislation to Protect Students Against Discrimination and Bolster Campus Safety (Aug. 26, 2025), (available at: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-landmark-legislation-protect-students-against-discrimination-and-bolster).

[4] N.Y. Educ. Law § 6436-a(1)(b).

[5] Id. at § 6436-a(2), (7).

[6] Governor Hochul Press Release, supra note 3 (quoting Assemblymember Nily Rozic).

[7] N.Y. Educ. Law at § 6436-a(2).

[8] Id. at § 6436-a(4).

[9] Id.

[10] Id. at § 6436-a(3).