What's happening
This bill requires school bond resolution votes to occur with the annual school budget vote, allowing exceptions only for emergencies.
Why it matters
Increases voter awareness and turnout. Requiring school bond votes to coincide with the annual school budget vote ensures more residents are likely to participate, since the budget vote is already a well-publicized event with higher turnout.
Limits flexibility for school districts. By generally prohibiting separate bond votes except in emergencies (with unanimous board approval and commissioner sign-off), school districts lose the ability to strategically schedule bond referenda, potentially slowing down urgent capital projects unless they meet strict emergency criteria.
Restricts repeated bond proposals. The bill allows a failed bond resolution to be resubmitted to voters only once, which could prevent districts from repeatedly bringing the same proposal to a vote in hopes of eventual passage, thereby encouraging more thoughtful and responsive planning.
Aims for greater public trust and fiscal discipline. By consolidating major financial decisions (budget and bonds) into one event and curbing repeated votes, the legislation may reduce perceptions of manipulation and pressure on voters, fostering greater transparency and accountability in school district financial management.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Align Bond and Budget Votes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 41–21
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.372
- 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.
Align Bond, Budget Votes
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
S. 3005 A. 2326
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
SENATE - ASSEMBLY
January 18, 2017
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing that a school bond resolution vote shall take place in conjunction with the school budget vote
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The section heading and subdivision 1 of section 2022 of the education law, as amended by section 7 of part A of chapter 97 of the laws of 2011, are amended and a new subdivision 1-a is added to read as follows:
Vote on school district budgets, on bond resolutions and on the election of school district trustees and board of education members. 1. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the election of trustees or members of the board of education, [and] the vote upon the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures, and the vote upon a bond resolution, except where the board shall by unanimous vote declare that an emergency exists and the commissioner determines that the best interests of the district require that the vote on the bond resolution be held on a different date, in any common school district, union free school district, central school district or central high school district shall be held at the annual meeting and election on the third Tuesday in May, provided, however, that such election shall be held on the second Tuesday in May if the commissioner at the request of a local school board certifies no later than March first that such election would conflict with religious observances. The sole trustee, board of trustees or board of education of every common, union free, central or central high school district and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07175-01-7
S. 3005 2 A. 2326
every city school district to which this article applies shall hold a budget hearing not less than seven nor more than fourteen days prior to the annual meeting and election or special district meeting at which a school budget vote will occur, and shall prepare and present to the voters at such budget hearing a proposed school district budget for the ensuing school year.
1-a. Any bond resolution voted upon pursuant to subdivision one of this section may only be resubmitted to the voters of the school district one time subsequent to such vote.
§ 2. The section heading and subdivision 1 of section 2022 of the education law, the section heading as amended by section 23 of part A of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997 and subdivision 1 as amended by section 8 of part C of chapter 58 of the laws of 1998, are amended and a new subdivision 1-a is added to read as follows:
Vote on school district budgets, on bond resolutions and on the election of school district trustees and board of education members. 1. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the election of trustees or members of the board of education, [and] the vote upon the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures, and the vote upon a bond resolution, except where the board shall by unanimous vote declare that an emergency exists and the commissioner determines that the best interests of the district require that the vote on the bond resolution be held on a different date, in any common school district, union free school district, central school district or central high school district shall be held at the annual meeting and election on the third Tuesday in May, provided, however, that such election shall be held on the second Tuesday in May if the commissioner at the request of a local school board certifies no later than March first that such election would conflict with religious observances. When such election or vote is taken by recording the ayes and noes of the qualified voters attending, a majority of the qualified voters present and voting, by a hand or voice vote, may determine to take up the question of voting the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures for a specific item separately, and the qualified voters present and voting may increase the amount of any estimated expenditures or reduce the same, except for teachers' salaries, and the ordinary contingent expenses of the schools. The sole trustee, board of trustees or board of education of every common, union free, central or central high school district and every city school district to which this article applies shall hold a budget hearing not less than seven nor more than fourteen days prior to the annual meeting and election or special district meeting at which a school budget vote will occur, and shall prepare and present to the voters at such budget hearing a proposed school district budget for the ensuing school year.
1-a. Any bond resolution voted upon pursuant to subdivision one of this section may only be resubmitted to the voters of the school district one time subsequent to such vote.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; provided that the amendments to section 2022 of the education law made by section one of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of such section pursuant to section 13 of part A of chapter 97 of the laws of 2011, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of section two of this act shall take effect.
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 providing that a school bond resolution vote shall take place in conjunction with the school budget vote
Purpose
To provide that a school district vote on a bond resolution vote shall take place on the third Tuesday in May in conjunction with the school budget vote.
Summary of provisions
Section heading and subdivision 1 of section 2022 of the education law are amended to include votes on bond resolutions. Furthermore, subdivision 1-a is added to limit the number of times a bond resolution may be resubmitted to voters.
Justification
There is a cost associated with putting up a school bond issue vote and being cognizant of that fact, school districts should submit bond issue votes in conjunction with school budget votes. Also, school budget votes can only be resubmitted one time. It is therefore appropriate that the school bond issue votes be limited to one resubmission.
Legislative history
2015-16 S.1871A1A.2025A; 2013-14 S.4805; 2011-12 S.3740/A.6598; 2009-10 S.1047; 2007-08 S.5420; 2005-06 S.188; 2003-04 S.6253.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first day of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; provided that the amendments to section 2022 of the education law made by section one of the this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of such section pursuant to section 13 of part A of chapter 97 of the laws of 2011, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of section two of this act shall take effect.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.