What's happening
This bill expands building aid for schools to include security and safety improvements and extends eligibility for additional aid.
Why it matters
Broadens the scope of eligible projects for state building aid. to include not just metal detectors and security cameras, but a wider array of school security and safety improvements, potentially allowing districts to address more diverse and evolving safety needs.
Extends extra aid eligibility indefinitely. by removing the previous cutoff date for higher building aid rates, ensuring that schools can continue to receive increased financial support for security and safety projects beyond the earlier July 2018 sunset.
Requires that funded projects be included in school safety plans. , tying state support to strategic, district-level planning and possibly improving coordination and effectiveness of security measures.
Maintains safeguards against supplanting existing funding. , ensuring that new state aid supplements rather than replaces current district spending on safety, which could result in overall increased investment in school security.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund School Safety Upgrades
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.963
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7942
IN SENATE
March 12, 2018
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- 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 providing building aid for school security and safety improvements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 6-c of section 3602 of the education law, as amended by chapter 1 of the laws of 2013, paragraph b as amended by section 23 of part YYY of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
6-c. a. Building aid for metal detectors, security and safety improvements, and safety devices for electrically operated partitions, room dividers and doors. In addition to the apportionments payable to a school district pursuant to subdivision six of this section, the commissioner is hereby authorized to apportion to any school district additional building aid pursuant to this subdivision for its approved expenditures in the base year for the purchase of stationary metal detectors, security cameras, school security and safety improvements, and safety devices for electrically operated partitions and room dividers required pursuant to section four hundred nine-f of this chapter, or other security devices approved by the commissioner that increase the safety of students and school personnel, provided, however, that funds apportioned to school districts pursuant to this section shall not supplant funds for existing district expenditures or for existing contractual obligations of the district for stationary metal detectors, security cameras, school security and safety improvements, and partition and room divider safety devices, or security devices. Portable or hand held metal detectors shall not be eligible for aid pursuant to this subdivision. Such additional aid shall equal the product of the building aid ratio computed for use in the current year pursuant to paragraph c of subdivision six of this section and the actual approved expenditures incurred in the base year pursuant to this subdivision, provided that the limitations on cost allowances prescribed by paragraph a of subdivision six of this section shall not apply. The commissioner shall annual-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15051-01-8
S. 7942 2
ly prescribe a special cost allowance for metal detectors, and security cameras, and the approved expenditures shall not exceed such cost allowance. The commissioner shall annually prescribe a special cost allowance for partition and room divider safety devices, and the approved expenditures shall not exceed such cost allowance.
b. For projects approved by the commissioner authorized to receive additional building aid pursuant to this subdivision for the purchase of stationary metal detectors, security cameras or other security devices approved by the commissioner that increase the safety of students and school personnel, provided that for purposes of this paragraph such other security devices shall be limited to electronic security systems and hardened doors, and provided that for projects approved by the commissioner on or after the first day of July two thousand thirteen [and before the first day of July two thousand eighteen] and thereafter such additional aid shall equal the product of (i) the building aid ratio computed for use in the current year pursuant to paragraph c of subdivision six of this section plus ten percentage points, except that in no case shall this amount exceed one hundred percent, and (ii) the actual approved expenditures incurred in the base year pursuant to this subdivision, provided that the limitations on cost allowances prescribed by paragraph a of subdivision six of this section shall not apply, and provided further that any projects aided under this paragraph must be included in a district's school safety plan. The commissioner shall annually prescribe a special cost allowance for metal detectors, and security cameras, and the approved expenditures shall not exceed such cost allowance.
§ 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 providing building aid for school security and safety improvements
Purpose
This legislation would allow improvements made for school security and safety improvements eligible for building aid.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 would allow improvements made for school security and safety improvements eligible for building aid.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
Ensuring our children are safe at school is an issue that must be addressed. Current law allows for metal detectors and security cameras to be eligible for building aid but no further security measures. This legislation would expand to school security and safety improvements that could be reimbursed via building aid. Items such as panic alarms, hard- ening of doors are currently excluded from building aid and this legis- lation will address this inequity.
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.