What's happening
This bill requires schools to promptly notify parents when an employee, volunteer, or administrator is officially reprimanded for inappropriate conduct toward a student.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and parental awareness. by requiring schools to directly inform parents when staff or volunteers are officially reprimanded for inappropriate conduct toward their child, rather than keeping such disciplinary actions internal.
Covers a wide range of school-affiliated adults. , including employees, volunteers, administrators, school board members, and contracted service providers who have direct contact with students, expanding the scope of who parents are notified about.
Mandates prompt notification. , requiring that parents be informed "as soon as reasonably practicable" after a written reprimand or censure is issued, which could allow families to take timely action or raise concerns regarding their child's safety and school environment.
Respects existing union agreements. by specifying that the new notification requirements do not override any contradictory provisions in current collective bargaining agreements, but those exceptions expire once the current contracts do, ensuring eventual uniformity.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Parents Get Misconduct Alerts
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 42
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.126
- Referred to children and families
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.283
- Referred to children and families
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.
Notify Parents of Staff Misconduct
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Aileen Gunther
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1001
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 6, 2017
Introduced by Sen. BONACIC -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the parent's right to know of allegations of inappropriate conduct by a school district employee, volunteer or administrator
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new article 23-C to read as follows:
ARTICLE 23-C
PARENT'S RIGHT TO KNOW ACT Section 1134. Short title.
1135. Definitions.
1136. Parent's right to know.
§ 1134. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as the "parent's right to know act".
§ 1135. Definitions. For the purposes of this article the following terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "Employee" shall mean a school board member acting in his or her capacity as a school board member, as well as any person receiving compensation from a school district or employee of a contracted service provider or worker placed within the school under a public assistance employment program, pursuant to title nine-B of article five of the social services law, and consistent with the provisions of such title for the provision of services to such district, its students or employees, directly or through contract, whereby such services performed by such person involve direct student contact.
2. "Volunteer" shall mean any person, other than an employee, who provides services to a school or school district, which involve direct student contact.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02703-01-7
S. 1001 2
3. "Administrator" or "school administrator" shall mean a principal, assistant principal, superintendent or assistant superintendent of a public school, charter school or board of cooperative educational services, or other chief school officer.
§ 1136. Parent's right to know. Every public school district, or any other school which primarily serves persons under the age of eighteen and which is registered with the department shall, within sixty days of the enactment of this section, adopt a policy which shall provide for notification as soon as reasonably practicable to a parent or legal guardian of an affected student or students of inappropriate conduct by an employee, volunteer or administrator of a school district with respect to a particular student or students in the event that the superintendent of schools, the school board, or any member of the school board acting with the authorization of such board, such authorization to have been provided during an executive session, provides a written censure, reprimand, or otherwise in writing advises an employee, volunteer, or an administrator of the school district of such person's inappropriate conduct with respect to a particular student or students.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that this act shall not impair any provision of a collective bargaining agreement in effect prior to the effective date of this act which is contradictory to the provisions of this act. Any such provisions shall expire no later than on such agreements existing expiration date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the parent's right to know of allegations of inappropriate conduct by a school district employee, volunteer or administrator
Purpose
To strengthen the framework for the reporting of suspected in-school child abuse to include a requirement for parental notification.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends the Education Law by creating a new article 23-C establishing the "Parent's Right to Know Act" which provides that every public school district or any school registered with the New York State Education Department shall, within 60 days of enactment of this law, adopt a policy which shall provide notification to a parent or legal guardian whenever a school employee, volunteer or administrator has been given a written censure, reprimand or otherwise has been advised in writing regarding inappropriate conduct with respect to a child by the Superintendent or the School Board.
Section 2: Effective date.
Justification
The establishment of the Parent's Right to Know Act reaffirms the critical need for parents to be fully involved as partners with our educators in ensuring the well-being of our children. Currently, Article 23-B of the Education Law provides the framework for the reporting of suspected child abuse, however there is room for strengthening parental notification requirements for inappropriate conduct. With this legislation, if a Superintendent of Schools or a School Board Member advises an employee, volunteer, or an administrator about noticed inappropriate conduct to a student or students--the parent should be notified. The public school district or any other school which serves students under the age of 18 will be responsible for adopting a policy or procedure to provide such notification to the parents.
Legislative history
S.1897 of 2016: Died in Senate Education, Died in Assembly Education S.1897 of 2015: Died in Senate Education, Died in Assembly Education S.3952 of 2014: Died in Senate Children and Families, Died in Assembly Education S.3952 of 2013: Died in Senate Children and Families, Died in Assembly Education
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Local fiscal implications
While this legislation broadens the reporting framework, no significant local fiscal impacts are anticipated.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that this act shall not impair any provision of a collective bargaining agreement in effect prior to the effective date of this act which is contradictory to the provisions of this act. Any such provisions shall expire no later than on such agreements existing expiration date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.