What's happening
This bill requires the education commissioner to set standards for school building maintenance and repair, and exempts related spending from school tax levy limits.
Why it matters
Establishing minimum maintenance standards means all New York schools would be required to meet clearly defined benchmarks for building upkeep, potentially improving student health, safety, and learning conditions across districts.
Exempting maintenance and repair spending from local property tax levy limits removes a key financial barrier, making it easier for school districts to address infrastructure problems without needing voter approval to exceed tax caps.
The bill could lessen long-term repair costs by encouraging regular, proactive maintenance, rather than waiting for issues to become emergencies, which are often more expensive and disruptive.
By standardizing upkeep requirements statewide, the legislation aims to reduce disparities between wealthier and poorer districts, promoting greater equity in the quality of school facilities.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Set School Building Standards
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
10 Co-sponsors
4 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4528
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, L. ROSENTHAL, STECK, SOLAGES, HEVE- SI, COOK, CAHILL, MONTESANO, HUNTER, ABINANTI, LUPARDO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, McDONALD, RIVERA, WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to directing the commissioner of education to establish standards for the maintenance and repair of school buildings and exempting expenditures for the maintenance and repair of school buildings from the tax levy limit
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 57 to read as follows:
57. The commissioner shall, by rule, establish minimum standards for the maintenance and repair of school buildings so as to provide an appropriate learning environment within each such building.
§ 2. Subparagraphs (iii) and (iv) of paragraph i of subdivision 2 of section 2023-a of the education law, as added by section 2 of part A of chapter 97 of the laws of 2011, are amended and a new subparagraph (v) is added to read as follows:
(iii) in years in which the normal contribution rate of the New York state teachers' retirement system, as defined by paragraph a of subdivision two of section five hundred seventeen of this chapter, increases by more than two percentage points from the previous year, a tax levy necessary for expenditures for the coming fiscal year for school district employer contributions to the New York state teachers' retirement system caused by growth in the normal contribution rate minus two percentage points; [and]
(iv) a capital tax levy[.]; and
(v) a tax levy necessary for expenditures for the maintenance and repair of school buildings.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08650-01-9
A. 4528 2
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such date; and provided further that the amendments to section 2023-a of the education law made by section two of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.