What's happening
The bill requires New York school districts to notify parents or guardians when potentially life-threatening incidents, like bomb threats or weapons, occur on school grounds.
Why it matters
Empowers parents with timely information. By requiring schools to notify parents about serious incidents like bomb threats or the discovery of weapons, the bill ensures families are not left in the dark about safety risks that may impact their children.
Promotes transparency and trust. Mandating notifications can foster greater trust between schools and families, as parents will be kept informed about critical safety issues and how they are handled.
May lead to better emergency preparedness. With parents more aware of life-threatening occurrences, communities may be more proactive in advocating for and supporting improved safety protocols and resources in schools.
Highlights the role of state oversight. The bill directs the state’s education commissioner to set the rules, signaling a move toward consistent statewide standards rather than leaving notification practices up to individual districts.
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Who cares
Parents and guardians of schoolchildren
They would receive notifications when potentially life-threatening events occur on school grounds, including bomb threats and the discovery or recovery of weapons from students.
School districts
All districts would be required to establish a parent and guardian notification program under rules issued by the education commissioner.
New York State education commissioner
The bill would direct the commissioner to issue rules requiring districts to establish these notification programs.
Headline styles
Alert Parents to School Threats
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4593
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CYMBROWITZ, COLTON, STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to notification of parents and guardians
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 56 to read as follows:
56. The commissioner is authorized and directed to promulgate rules and regulations to require all school districts to establish a program to notify parents or guardians of school children when potentially life threatening occurrences have taken place on school grounds. For purposes of this subdivision life threatening occurrences shall include, but not be limited to, bomb threats and the discovery or recovery of guns or other weapons from students.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately the commissioner of education is authorized to promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act on its effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06955-01-7
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.