What's happening
This bill requires school bond resolution votes to be held with the school budget vote and limits resubmission to voters to one time.
Why it matters
Combines school bond and budget votes. By mandating that school bond resolutions be voted on at the same time as the annual school budget, the bill could increase voter awareness and participation, potentially leading to outcomes that better reflect community sentiment on both spending and borrowing decisions.
Limits repeated bond proposals. Restricting school districts to only one resubmission of a failed bond resolution may reduce the pressure on voters and discourage repeated attempts to pass unpopular borrowing measures, fostering greater accountability in how school boards propose and justify capital projects.
Emergency exception with oversight. The bill allows for an exception where an emergency is declared unanimously by the board and approved by the state commissioner, adding a layer of oversight and ensuring that only genuine emergencies can trigger a separate bond vote—this could prevent misuse of the exception for non-urgent projects.
Potential impact on school planning and finance. By making the process for approving school bonds more stringent and predictable, the bill could influence how districts plan capital improvements, possibly encouraging more careful project vetting and alignment with community priorities.
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Align Bond and Budget Votes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Referred to education
- 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 and Budget Votes
In Senate Committee · Education · Sponsor Kenneth P. LaValle
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
S. 3429 A. 4955
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
SENATE - ASSEMBLY
February 6, 2019
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.
LBD03172-01-9
S. 3429 2 A. 4955
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.
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