What's happening
This bill allows the education commissioner to withhold funding from private schools that fail to file timely fire safety reports or correct violations.
Why it matters
Increases accountability for private schools by tying state funding to compliance with fire safety requirements. , meaning schools that don’t submit timely reports or fix violations risk losing essential funds.
Creates a financial incentive for private schools to prioritize student safety. , as delays or failures in correcting fire hazards could directly affect their operational budgets.
Strengthens the education commissioner’s oversight authority. , giving the commissioner clear power to enforce fire safety laws in private schools through funding controls, not just through recommendations or inspections.
Aims to ensure a consistent standard of fire safety across all schools receiving public funds. , potentially reducing disparities in safety measures between public and private schools.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Withhold Funds for Unsafe Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1734
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2017
Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing the commissioner of education to withhold apportionment and grants from private schools that do not file a recent fire safety report in a timely manner
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 807-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 165 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
6. It shall be the duty of the commissioner to ascertain annually whether the inspections of school buildings required by this section have been made and the reports of the inspection have been filed in their respective offices. The commissioner shall review the reports of inspection filed pursuant to this section and may make recommendations to the school authorities with respect to any problems relating to school fire safety noted in such reports. The commissioner shall require a re-inspection of school buildings where a report of inspection identified violations that, if uncorrected, would cause the department to deny an annual certificate of occupancy to such school building, and shall require additional re-inspections until it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the commissioner that said violations have been corrected. The commissioner may inspect or cause to be inspected at any reasonable time for fire prevention and fire protection purposes the school buildings required to be inspected by this section. It shall be the duty of the commissioner to withhold any apportionment pursuant to section five hundred fifty-one of this title and any grant of mandated services aid to any private school which has failed to file an annual fire safety report by the sixteenth of December each year, or which has not corrected violations identified in such report to the satisfaction of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02010-01-7
S. 1734 2
the commissioner. No such apportionment or grant shall be released until the commissioner has determined that the private school has fully complied with this subdivision.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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 authorizing the commissioner of education to withhold apportionment and grants from private schools that do not file a recent fire safety report in a timely manner
Purpose
The bill will provide an enforcement mechanism for the State Education Department in order to ensure that the fire safety report requirement is complied with.
Summary of provisions
Section one of the bill amends subdivision 6 of section 807-a of the education law as it relates to withholding of apportionment to any private school which has failed to file a fire safety report in a timely manner or has corrected violations in the report to the satisfaction of the commissioner.
Section two of the bill relates to the effective date.
Justification
Current law requires schools to submit an annual fire safety report which includes an inspection of school buildings by a fire inspector. There is no penalty for schools who fail to submit an annual fire safety report in a timely manner or at all. Upon a request to the State Education Department for a school's fire safety report found at least one private school has never submitted the required annually report. This bill requires the commissioner of education to withhold any apportionment due to a private school that has failed to submit this important safety requirement. This will provide the State Education Department with the necessary enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance with this requirement and the safety of school buildings.
Legislative history
2015-16: S6067/A2847 - education/education
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.