What's happening
This bill allows school boards to consider parent requests for student transportation from established bus stops beyond current distance limits due to safety or hardship concerns.
Why it matters
Empowers families facing safety or hardship issues. By allowing parents or guardians to formally request exceptions to standard bus stop distance limits, the bill addresses unique family circumstances—such as unsafe walking routes or a parent’s inability to accompany a child—potentially improving safety and equity for vulnerable students.
Requires transparent school board decision-making. School boards must review each request, provide written explanations for approval or denial, and specifically address whether additional district costs would result—making the process more accountable to families and the community.
Limits financial impact without voter approval. If accommodating a request would create costs beyond the current school budget, the board must outline these costs and obtain approval from district voters at the next annual meeting, preventing unplanned spending while still offering a path for exceptions.
Does not mandate new bus routes or stops. The bill only allows use of existing routes and stops, ensuring that any approved exceptions do not require fundamental changes to transportation logistics, which helps manage operational complexity.
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Who cares
Parents and guardians of K–12 students
Those whose children live within two miles of school in grades K–8 or three miles in grades 9–12 could request access to an existing bus stop outside those limits for safety reasons or other extraordinary circumstances.
School district boards of education
Boards would have to review written requests, assess additional costs and provide written reasons for approval or denial.
School district voters
Qualified voters would have to approve requests that incur additional district costs at the annual meeting before the child could use the requested stop for that school year.
Headline styles
Expand Student Bus Access
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 7
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.832
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3787
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 27, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PHILLIPS -- 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 boards of education to provide certain children transportation to school
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 3635 of the education law is amended by adding a new paragraph h to read as follows:
h. (i) A board of education of any school district shall, upon written request of a parent or guardian of a child attending grades kindergarten through eight who lives within two miles from the school that they legally attend or a parent or guardian of a child attending grades nine through twelve who lives within three miles from the school that they legally attend, make a determination as to whether a child residing within the two or three mile distance limitation may for reasons related to safety or other extraordinary circumstances use an already established pick-up and/or drop-off point on an already established route outside of such two or three mile distance limitation. Written requests shall specify explanations for the request, including but not limited to any potential hardships or hazards to the child's safety due to the parent or guardian's inability to accompany their child to or from school as well as the pick-up and/or drop-off point closest to the child's place of residence.
(ii) Upon receipt of such written request, the board of education shall determine whether the child shall be permitted to use an already established pick-up and/or drop-off point and shall provide a written explanation to the parent or guardian making such request as to the reasons for approval or denial for such request. Before the board of education makes its decision, it shall determine whether permitting the child to use an already established pick-up and/or drop-off point would incur additional costs to the school district that would be in excess of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06726-01-7
S. 3787 2
the amount appropriated in the school district budget. If it is determined that such request would incur additional costs to the school district, then the board of education must identify and include the nature and amount of the additional costs in the written explanation to the parent or guardian making such written request and receive approval of the qualified voters of the district at the annual meeting before allowing the child to use the pick-up and/or drop-off point for the school year for which transportation is requested. If such written request is approved by the board of education, such child may be permitted to use the pick-up and/or drop-off point specified in the request immediately. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require the board of education to hold a special meeting of the district in order to approve such request by a parent or guardian.
§ 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 boards of education to provide certain children transportation to school
Purpose
Allows boards of education to provide certain children transportation to school for a lesser distance than two miles
Summary of provisions
Section one amends subdivision 1 of section 3635 of the education law by adding a new paragraph h which will allow for a child residing within the two or three mile designated area to upon approval of the school use an already established pick up/drop off location outside of the designated area.
Section two sets the effective date.
Justification
Upon approval of the board, this legislation would permit students who live within the two or three mile designated area to access transportation at an already established pick up and drop off location outside of the two or three mile designated area. Giving school districts this flexibility would allow them to make determinations on a case by case basis taking into consideration factors such as availability of seating on current buses traveling on established routes and the safety of routes for students who live within two or three mile designated area traveling to school.
Legislative history
2016: Passed Senate (S.248B) 2014: Passed Senate (S.6404) 2013: Passed Senate (S.5394)
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.