What's happening
This bill requires every school in New York to have a certified physical education teacher for physical education instruction.
Why it matters
Ensures students receive physical education from trained professionals. By mandating certified PE teachers in every school, the bill aims to improve the quality and consistency of physical education, which can influence students’ physical health, motor skills, and lifelong fitness habits.
Eliminates non-specialist instruction in PE. The bill removes the option for general classroom teachers or non-certified staff to conduct PE classes, addressing concerns that untrained teachers may not deliver effective or safe physical activity instruction.
May require hiring additional staff, especially in smaller schools. Schools that previously relied on non-PE teachers for physical education will need to hire certified professionals, potentially increasing costs and affecting school budgets or staffing structures.
Could impact educational equity across districts. By standardizing the requirement statewide, the bill seeks to ensure that all students—regardless of where they live or the resources of their district—have access to quality physical education from qualified instructors.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Licensed PE Teachers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred 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.
Require PE Teachers in Schools
In Senate Committee · Education · Sponsor Gustavo Rivera
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6129
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 23, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PICHARDO, HOOPER, ARROYO, DAVILA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. LAWRENCE, WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring all school districts to have a certified physical education teacher
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 803 of the education law, as amended by chapter 118 of the laws of 1957, is amended to read as follows:
2. The board of education or trustees of every school district regularly employing twenty or more teachers shall employ, within every school, a teacher or teachers qualified and duly licensed under the regulations of the regents to give [such] physical education instruction[; in every other district of the state, they shall require such instruction to be given by the teacher or teachers regularly employed to give instruction in other subjects or by a teacher or teachers qualified and duly licensed under the regulations of the regents].
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02109-01-7
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.