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History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5470
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the safe operation and maintenance of all elementary and secondary school science laboratories
Purpose or general idea of bill
To establish standard guidelines to be followed in elementary and secondary school science laboratories in order to ensure the safety of faculty, staff, and students when conducting scientific experiments.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 grants the Commissioner of the State Education Department the authority to promulgate rules and regulations concerning standard operating procedure in all elementary and secondary school science laboratories, including but not limited to maintenance, inspection, and usage guidelines, safety training courses, and prohibition of dangerous equipment or scientific demonstrations.
Section 2 establishes that the act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Over the last decade, there have been several instances, both in New York and across the country, of scientific experiments being performed in elementary or secondary school laboratories under dangerous and unsafe conditions, resulting in serious harm to students and staff. Although practical experiments are an important part of a scientific curriculum, we have an obligation to our teachers and students to ensure that demonstrations performed on school grounds do not pose an undue risk of personal injury to those involved.
This legislation would require the SED Commissioner to promulgate guidelines and procedures that would ensure the safety of our faculty, staff, and students while still allowing for an exciting, creative, and hands-on educational curriculum in science classes.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.