What's happening
This bill requires school districts to offer make-up Regents exams within 30 days if students miss them due to emergency school closures.
Why it matters
Ensures fairness for students. by guaranteeing all eligible students can take required Regents exams, even if their schools are closed unexpectedly, which can prevent delayed graduation or academic setbacks.
Defines "emergency" clearly. , so only serious situations (risk to health, life, or property) that cause school closures trigger the requirement for make-up exams—helping avoid confusion or abuse of the policy.
Centralizes responsibility. with the Board of Regents to set make-up exam dates and locations, which can help standardize procedures and reduce the administrative burden on individual schools during emergencies.
Promotes continuity in education. by minimizing disruption to students’ academic progress, especially during events like natural disasters, public health crises, or other emergencies that force school closures.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Students Retake Missed Regents
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
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.
Makeup Regents for Emergencies
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1390
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 14, 2019
Introduced by Sen. FUNKE -- 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 students an opportunity to take regents examinations if missed due to school closure
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 208-b to read as follows:
§ 208-b. Alternative regents exam testing days due to school closure. Any school district that is closed due to an emergency during a regents examination period is required to provide any student qualified to take such exam as set forth in 8 NYCRR 8.2 an opportunity to take the exam missed within thirty days from the date of the original examination. The board of regents shall select the date for the regents exams and notify school districts of the make-up date and locations. For purposes of this section, "emergency" shall be defined as a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, or property that causes a school district to close.
§ 2. 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 is directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07096-01-9
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 students an opportunity to take regents examinations if missed due to school closure
Purpose
Relates to providing students an opportunity to take regents examina- tions if missed due to school closure.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new section 208-b requiring the State to provide alter- native regents exam testing days when schools are closed due to emergen- cy school closure. Any school district that is closed due to an emergen- cy during a regents examination period would be required to provide any student qualified to take such exam on the original test date, the opportunity to retest within thirty days from the date of the original examination. The board of regents shall select the date for the regents exam and notify school districts of the make-up date and locations. For purposes of this section, "emergency" shall be defined as a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life or property that causes a school district to close.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
New York State requires that students pass five Regents exams to gradu- ate from High School: two in Social Studies and one each in Math, Science and English. To ensure that students have multiple opportunities to take the Regents exams, New York offers them three times a year. The tests are usually given in January, June and August, giving students three opportunities to take the exam. The January test serves many purposes including allowing students to graduate midyear, as well as helping students lighten their heavy exam load in June. If a school is going to be closed due to an emergency at the same time that a regents is scheduled to be given the State should ensure that each student is still given three opportunities to take the exam. Failure to allow this opportunity can lead to a higher rate of dropouts, lower averages; while leaving qualified seniors unable to graduate.
Typically, New York State receives a few snow storms each winter. In 2014, some school districts like Eden Central School and Iroquois School District had to cancel classes due to wind chills advisories. Eden Central School District, which canceled classes when some students were scheduled to take Comprehensive English and Living Environment exams, had to close its schools for six consecutive days because of inclement weather. In previous years, school districts were forced to close due to bad weather preventing students from taking their exams and forcing them to wait until June. This lowers the opportunity that students have to pass the exam and increases the anxiety levels for some seniors. Creat- ing make-up days for the regents in the event that an emergency does occur, ensures each student a fair chance at being able to take the Regents exam three times in a year.
Legislative history
S3655/A5623 of 2015-2016; Passed Senate S 6730 of 2014; Passed Senate
Fiscal implications
To Be Determined
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.