What's happening
This bill requires the New York education department to report on and propose increases to school counselor, social worker, and psychologist staffing, and provides additional funding for their employment.
Why it matters
Greater transparency on mental health staffing. The mandated annual report will reveal how many counselors, social workers, and psychologists are present in each school, as well as student-to-staff ratios—helping families and advocates understand exactly where resources are lacking.
Push toward national best practices. By requiring the education commissioner to propose plans to meet nationally recommended staffing ratios, the bill establishes a formal process to close gaps between New York schools and professional standards for student support.
Targeted funding for student support services. The law creates a pathway for additional state funding to directly support the hiring of counselors, social workers, and psychologists, making it more feasible for under-resourced districts to improve student access to critical mental health and counseling services.
Recognition of local needs and disparities. The commissioner is directed to consider the specific needs of individual districts and regions, which could help address inequities between urban, suburban, and rural schools in access to student support professionals.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
State Education Department
The commissioner would have to report school-by-school staffing levels, student-to-staff ratios and shared counseling staff, then propose staffing increases to meet nationally accepted ratios.
School districts
Districts could receive additional state aid for approved spending on counselors, social workers and psychologists, subject to a cost allowance set annually by the commissioner.
School counselors, social workers and psychologists
The bill would document their staffing levels and assignments across schools and require a proposal to increase their numbers based on district and regional needs.
Governor and legislative leaders
The governor, Senate temporary president and Assembly speaker would receive the report on counseling and related staffing for the current school year.
Headline styles
Track School Mental Health Staff
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Recommit, enacting clause stricken
- 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.
Report School Mental Health Staff
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Aileen Gunther
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1409
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 14, 2019
Introduced by Sens. RITCHIE, AKSHAR, FUNKE, GALLIVAN, HELMING, JACOBS, ORTT, RANZENHOFER, ROBACH, SEWARD -- 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 requiring the department of education to report information regarding counselors, social workers and psychologists in schools
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. a. The commissioner shall submit to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly, a report regarding school counselors, school social workers and school psychologists for the current school year. Such report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the number of full and part-time school counselors, school social workers and school psychologists in each school, (ii) the ratio of students to the number of school counselors, the ratio of students to the number of school social workers, and the ratio of students to the number of school psychologists in each school, and (iii) whether the school counselor, school social worker or school psychologist is providing counseling assistance to more than one school.
b. After such report is issued, the commissioner shall prepare a proposal on how to increase the number of school counselors, school social workers and school psychologists to meet the nationally accepted ratio of students to the number of school counselors, ratio of students to the number of school social workers, and ratio of students to the number of school psychologists within New York state such as those recommended by the school social work association of America, the American school counselors association and the national association of school psychologists. When preparing such proposal, the commissioner shall take
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01636-01-9
S. 1409 2
into consideration the specific needs of individual school districts and the region in which such school district is located.
c. For purposes of this subdivision, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(i) "school counselor" shall mean any personnel, licensed and certified by New York state as school counselor, hired to provide individual or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary, middle, or high school grades;
(ii) "school social worker" shall mean any personnel, licensed and certified by New York state as a school social worker, hired to provide individual or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary, middle, or high school grades; and
(iii) "school psychologist" shall mean any personnel, licensed and certified by New York state as a school psychologist, hired to provide individual or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary, middle, or high school grades.
§ 2. Section 3602 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 19 to read as follows:
19. In addition to the apportionments payable to a school district pursuant to this section, the commissioner is hereby authorized to apportion to any school district additional aid pursuant to this subdivision for its approved expenditures in the base year for the employment of school counselors, school social workers and/or school psychologists. The commissioner shall annually prescribe a cost allowance for such school counselors, school social workers and/or school psychologists and the approved expenditures shall not exceed such cost allowance.
§ 3. 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 requiring the depart- ment of education to report information regarding counselors, social workers and psychologists in schools
Purpose
To gather information in order to provide better counseling services to our students throughout the state by ensuring the state meets the nationally accepted level of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists per school here.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds new subdivision 57 to section 305, which directs the commissioner of education to submit a report to the governor, temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, and specifies the data the commissioner must include in such report. Following the report, the commissioner must develop a proposal to increase the number of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists to meet nationally accepted counseling professional to student ratios in New York State.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
Justification
Recent, alarming incidents of school shootings have shone a glaring spotlight on the connection between school violence and mental illness. Data shows that one in five students suffers some effects of mental illness. Students facing stress from personal, academic, social, emotional, bullying, mental illness and other challenges, who might otherwise turn to drugs or violence, can benefit from improved access to mental health services that, in turn, can help to make our schools safer.
When considering the counseling needs of our students, the American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 1:250 school counse- lors to students; in New York, the ration is more than twice that, at 1:635 school counselors. Similarly, the School Social Work Association of America recommends a ratio of 1:250 school social workers to students, and an even lower ratio of 1:50 where students require more intensive care. The National Association of School Psychologists recom- mends a ratio of 1:500-700 school psychologists to students, a ratio that New York met in the 2009-2010 school year with a ratio of 1:600. Each of these minimum standards was affirmed in the wake of the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.
With the guidance of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists, students stand a greater chance to succeed in their education and establishing a concrete path to their futures. This bill seeks to increase access to mental health services in our schools by first tracking the number of school counselors, school social work- ers, and school psychologists who serve students throughout the state, and directs the state Education Commissioner to develop a plan to achieve nationally accepted professional-to-student ratios in every district and region.
The bill also recognizes the state's interest in ensuring safer schools provides and provides that any additional expense incurred by local districts in meeting the standards for school counselors, psychologists and social workers should be reimbursed by the state.
Legislative history
2018: S.7838A - 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.