What's happening
This bill allows student volunteer firefighters, EMTs, or ambulance members to participate in after-school activities even if they arrive late or leave early for emergency duties.
Why it matters
Supports civic-minded students. By protecting after-school activity eligibility, the bill encourages students to serve as volunteer firefighters, EMTs, or ambulance members without sacrificing their participation in sports, clubs, or other extracurriculars.
Addresses staffing shortages in emergency services. This law could help rural and small communities, which often rely on youth volunteers for emergency response, by removing a disincentive for students to join local fire and EMS organizations.
Limits and safeguards included. The protections only apply to students who notify their school about their volunteer status and who remain in good academic standing and compliant with attendance policies, balancing student responsibility with service.
Requires local implementation. School districts must establish clear rules to enact these provisions, ensuring that the policy is tailored to local needs and circumstances while maintaining fairness for all students.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Student First Responders
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6062
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 10, 2017
Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- 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 after-school activity participation based on attendance
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 section 3207-b to read as follows:
§ 3207-b. After-school activity participation based on attendance. No student shall be barred from participation in any after-school activity if such student arrives late or leaves early from his or her school, due to such student's engagement in the actual performance of his or her duties in an emergency as (a) a volunteer firefighter, (b) a volunteer emergency medical technician, or (c) an enrolled member of a volunteer ambulance service pursuant to article thirty of the public health law. Such student shall provide notification to his or her school at the beginning of each school year or at the time such approved volunteer employment commences, whichever occurs first, that such student is engaged in volunteer employment. Students shall be permitted to participate in after-school activities in accordance with this section, if they are in compliance with school attendance policies and deemed to be in good academic standing. Each individual school system or district shall promulgate any applicable rules necessary to facilitate this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10720-03-7
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 after-school activity participation based on attendance
Purpose
This legislation is designed to ensure volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technicians are allowed to participate in after-school activity when they have left early or arrived late to respond to an emergency.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. After-school activity participation based on attendance. No student shall be barred from participating in any after-school activity of such student arrives late or leaves early from school due to engagement in performing duties in an emergency as a firefighter or emergency medical technician.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
In February, 2017, a student was prevented from suiting up for his basketball team's playoff game after he missed the team bus while responding to a rescue call to help an angler who had become stranded on a drifting block of ice on Lake Ontario.
The student was a member of the local fire department who responded to a call issued by emergency services officials. School officials said a long-standing policy bars students from participating in away games if they do not travel on the team bus or have a parent bring them to the game. This legislation will guarantee that students who also serve as volunteer emergency medical service providers, firefighters or serve as a member of a volunteer ambulance service will not be penalized or prevented from participating in after-school activities or athletics because they left school early or arrived late to assist in an emergency.
Communities benefit from encouraging young people to volunteer their time as members of volunteer fire departments and rescue squads. School officials should interpret any regulation to encourage students to volunteer their time to these groups whose members provide crucial lifesaving service to their school, community and the State of New York, especially when they are responding to emergencies.
A distinction needs to be made between these absences and others to ensure that these brave students are not penalized for the important services they provide. These heroes deserve some leeway in the after-school activity policies of their schools for the time they give protecting the people and communities of the State of New York.
Legislative history
New Bill.
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.