New York, NY – New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF, Manhattan) announced the passage of her bill that exempts instructors of yoga from licensing requirements by the New York State Education Department (SED). The legislation was introduced in response to cease and desist notices received by yoga instruction studios from SED’S Board of Proprietary Schools that warned of a $50,000 penalty for not having licensed teachers. The notices caused alarm and led to an effort by Assemblymember Rosenthal to clarify ambiguities about licensing requirements.

“I am pleased to put an end to this mistaken interpretation of existing law that would imperil New York’s thriving yoga community,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal. “This law was originally designed to govern vocational and business training facilities and is completely inappropriate for leisure, hobby, or personal enrichment instruction. Had this problem gone unresolved, New York’s yoga studios would have been dealt a serious blow in the form of damaging fees, burdensome amounts of paperwork and unnecessary delays in curriculum approvals.”

Bill A.8678A passed the Assembly on February 23, 2010 by a margin of 127-7. The Senate equivalent is sponsored by Senator Eric Schneiderman.

“While I was angry to learn that these letters were distributed, the end result was greater protection for yoga studios. New York needs to safeguard its cultural resources, and in my district these instructors are a welcome and integral neighborhood asset,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal.

SED’s new regulation would have also represented an unreasonably invasive demand on small businesses in New York and galvanized yoga trainers, teachers and practitioners to form Yoga for New York, an advocacy organization tasked with fighting the state proposal. Through hard work, effective coalition building and outreach to elected officials, Yoga for New York was able to assist Assemblymember Rosenthal in advancing this legislation through the Assembly.

“I appreciate Yoga for New York’s outreach on behalf of my legislation and its members’ commitment to defending their passion and livelihood,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal. “These instructors are experts in their field and can regulate their studios’ curriculum far more effectively than the State Education Department.”

Although not subjected to the SED Board of Proprietary Schools notice, Assemblymember Rosenthal’s legislation offers identical protections to martial arts studios, religion, dancing, music, painting, drawing, sculpture, poetry, dramatic art, languages, reading comprehension, mathematics, recreation, martial arts and athletics.