Authorizes the commissioner of education to conduct a study regarding paperwork requirements imposed by the department of education

BILL NUMBER:S4902

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing the commissioner of education to conduct a study identifying paperwork requirements and developing and implementing a five year paperwork reduction plan

Purpose

This legislation would require the Commissioner of Education to reduce the paperwork burden of schools, school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services by 10 percent each year for five years following a study identifying the paperwork requirement for all schools..

Summary of provisions

This bill amends section 305 of the Education Law by adding a new subdivision 42. The law would require the Commissioner of Education to conduct a study to identify the current volume of paperwork now required by law, rule or regulation. This legislation would also require the study to report the estimated costs of completing and submitting required paperwork records through the use of an electronic medium such as the Internet. The study would be completed by January 1, 2012, and would include the estimated costs to the schools, school districts and BOCES associated with the completion of this paperwork. Finally, the Commissioner would be required to develop and implement a five-year plan to reduce the total paperwork volume by 10 percent per year for the five years following the completion of the study.

Justification

School personnel have been inundated with time consuming and expensive paperwork procedures during the last several years. Efforts by the State to obtain information about school district operations, costs and general performance have required an ever increasing volume of paperwork, adding to the already overburdened school administration. However, during this same time period our ability to handle and transmit information has significantly improved through the use of computers and electronic mail capabilities. Every effort should be made to take advantage of these technologies and develop methods to significantly reduce the time and expense associated with creating, maintaining and transferring this information in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. This legislation would move us in this direction.

Legislative history

2009-10: S.1563 2007-08: S.940 2005-06: S.1414 2003-04: S.2628 2001-02: S.3133

Fiscal implications

The modest cost to the state for the study would be more than offset by the eventual savings of millions of dollars by the state, schools,

school districts and BOCES through the reduction in costs for labor and materials.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.