What's happening
This bill amends the Dignity for All Students Act to extend anti-discrimination protections to private, religious, and denominational schools.
Why it matters
Extends anti-bullying and anti-discrimination protections to all students in New York, regardless of whether they attend public, private, religious, or denominational schools. This means that private and religious schools must now create and maintain environments free from harassment and discrimination, just like public schools.
Ensures consistency in student rights and protections across all educational settings. By removing language that previously excluded private and religious schools, the law closes a loophole that left some students with fewer protections depending on where they went to school.
May require private and religious schools to update policies, staff training, and reporting procedures. to comply with the law, potentially impacting their internal practices and culture around bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
Signals a state-level commitment to universal student safety and inclusion. , potentially influencing other states or prompting national discussions about the scope of anti-bullying laws in non-public schools.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect All Students from Bullying
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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
3696
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 12, 2019
Introduced by Sens. HOYLMAN, ADDABBO, KENNEDY, MAYER -- 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 including private, religious or denominational educational institutions to the "dignity for all students act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 10 of the education law, as added by chapter 482 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
§ 10. Legislative intent. The legislature finds that students' ability to learn and to meet high academic standards, and a school's ability to educate its students, are compromised by incidents of discrimination or harassment including bullying, taunting or intimidation. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to afford all students [in public schools] an environment free of discrimination and harassment. The purpose of this article is to foster civility in [public] schools and to prevent and prohibit conduct which is inconsistent with a school's educational mission.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 11 of the education law, as added by chapter 482 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
1. "School property" shall mean in or within any building, structure, athletic playing field, playground, parking lot, or land contained within the real property boundary line of [a public] an elementary or secondary school; or in or on a school bus, as defined in section one hundred forty-two of the vehicle and traffic law.
§ 3. Section 17 of the education law, as added by chapter 482 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
§ 17. Application. Nothing in this article shall[:
1. Apply to private, religious or denominational educational institutions; or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09522-01-9
S. 3696 2
2. Preclude] preclude or limit any right or cause of action provided under any local, state or federal ordinance, law or regulation including but not limited to any remedies or rights available under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Law of 1964, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
§ 4. 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 including private, religious or denominational educational institutions to the "dignity for all students act"
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would protect all elementary, middle school and high school students in New York from harassment, bullying and discrimination by extending the Dignity for All Students Act to private schools.
Summary of specific provisions
Section one of the bill would amend Education Law section 10 by deleting the phrase in public schools" and the word "public" from the legislative intent section of the Dignity for All Students Act ("Dignity"). Section 2 of the bill would amend Education Law section 11, subdivision 1, by deleting the word "public" from the definition of school property. Section 3 of the bill would amend Education Law section 17 by deleting subdivision 1. Section 4 of the bill is the effective date.
Difference between original and amended version (if applicable)
N/A
Justification
Tragedies involving the harassment, bullying and discrimination of students are not limited to public schools, but the protections of the Dignity for All Students Act are. Sadly, students at private schools, including religious schools, can and have been bullied to the point of such despair that they kill themselves. While such schools may choose to adopt policies designed to prevent harassment, bullying and discrimi- nation, they are not required to do so. This bill would apply Dignity's protections to all students in all schools in New York, whether public or private.
Prior legislative history
S.6438 of 2017-2018 (Hoylman): Died in Education A.7738A of 2017-2018 (O'Donnell): Died in Education
Fiscal implications
None to the state or local governments.
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.