What's happening
The bill requires school districts to allow students with disabilities to participate in high school graduation ceremonies even if they have not earned a Regents or local diploma.
Why it matters
Promotes inclusion and dignity. by ensuring students with disabilities are publicly recognized alongside their peers, even if they only receive alternative credentials rather than a standard diploma.
Requires clear communication. School districts must provide annual written notice of this policy to students with disabilities and their families, which helps prevent confusion or students being overlooked.
Centers student choice. Participation in graduation ceremonies is not mandatory; students with disabilities and their families can decide whether or not to take part, and the process must consider both the student's wishes and recommendations from their special education committee.
Clarifies eligibility. The bill specifies that the student's "graduating class" is the group they entered ninth grade with, helping to standardize when eligible students can participate and avoid ambiguity around timing.
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Who cares
Students with disabilities
Students with either specified commencement credential, no Regents or local diploma and an IEP prescribing services beyond four high school years would be allowed to join their original class’s graduation ceremony and related activities without being required to participate.
Parents and guardians of students with disabilities
They would receive annual written notice of the district’s graduation participation policy and procedures.
School district boards
Boards of education or trustees would have to establish policies and adopt procedures allowing eligible students to participate.
Superintendents and committees on special education
Superintendents would have to consider any committee recommendation and the student’s expressed preference about participation.
Headline styles
Let Disabled Students Graduate
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
9 Co-sponsors
3 Multi-sponsors
History
- Approval memo.15
- Signed chap.410
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- 3rd reading cal.2160
- Substituted for S4729A
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Advanced to third reading cal.489
- Reported
Show 3 earlier actions
- Print number 1595a
- Amend and recommit to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let Disabled Students Graduate
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor William J. Larkin Jr.
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1595--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SKOUFIS, HOOPER, SEPULVEDA, D'URSO, COOK, SANTA- BARBARA, BLAKE, BICHOTTE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HIKIND, JONES, LOPEZ, WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to policies that allow students with disabilities to participate in a high school graduation ceremony
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Zachary's law".
§ 2. Section 4402 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
9. The board of education or the board of trustees of each school district shall establish a policy and adopt procedures to allow any student with a disability in such district to participate in the graduation ceremony of the student's high school graduating class and all related activities if such student has been issued a skills and achievement commencement credential or career development and occupational studies commencement credential but has not otherwise qualified for a regents or local diploma. Such student shall be eligible to participate if the student's individualized education program prescribes special education, transition planning, transition services, or related services beyond the student's four academic years after the student's entry into high school. The policy and procedures shall provide annual written notice to all students with disabilities and their parents or guardians about the school district's policy and procedures adopted in accordance with this subdivision. Nothing in this subdivision shall compel a student with disabilities to participate in the high school graduation ceremony and activities. The superintendent shall consider the recommen-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04000-04-7
A. 1595--A 2
dation, if any, of the student's committee on special education as well as the student's own expressed preference. For purposes of this subdivision, a student's high school graduating class shall be the twelfth grade class with which such student with a disability entered into ninth grade.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.