What's happening
This bill directs the education commissioner to develop school bus transportation guidelines for field trips in New York City boroughs.
Why it matters
Expands student access to educational opportunities by ensuring that all public school students in NYC boroughs can be transported to field trip locations both during and outside school hours. This could mean more frequent or diverse field trips, which are shown to enhance learning and equity.
Establishes clear transportation boundaries—allowing school buses to take students up to 20 miles outside the city boroughs or anywhere within the school district’s county. This addresses previous ambiguities about how far buses could travel and may give schools flexibility to plan richer, farther-reaching trips.
Directs the state education commissioner to create uniform guidelines, potentially improving safety, consistency, and fairness in how field trips are conducted across different boroughs and schools. This could reduce disparities between districts and make field trip planning easier for teachers and administrators.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Set Rules for Field Trip Buses
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
397
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. LANZA -- 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 authorizing and directing the commissioner of education to develop guidelines for transportation of students on field trips
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 is authorized and directed to develop guidelines for the transportation of pupils attending school in the boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island to the location of field trips during and outside of school hours on school buses owned or leased by school districts located in such boroughs. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, such transportation shall be provided to locations within twenty miles outside of the boundaries of the boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island and to any location within the county in which the school district is located.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03273-01-9
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 authorizing and directing the commissioner of education to develop guidelines for trans- portation of students on field trips
Purpose
To allow the commissioner to authorize and direct the development of guidelines for the transportation of pupils attending school in the boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island while on field trips.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law by adding a new subdivision 57 to allow the commissioner to authorize and direct the development of guidelines for the transportation of pupils attending school in the boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island to the location of field trips during and outside of school hours on school buses owned or leased by school districts located in such boroughs. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, such transportation shall be provided to locations within twenty miles outside of the boundaries of the said boroughs and to any location within the city.
Justification
This bill would allow for schools to take pupils on field trips outside of the City of New York to locations within twenty miles outside of the boundaries of the city and to any location within the five boroughs.
Taking into consideration the area and size of New York City, this bill would give greater freedom to schools with regard to the transportation of pupils on field trips in and outside of the city.
Legislative history
2018: S.2637-A - Passed Senate / A.5396-A - Referred to Education 2017: S.2637 - Passed Senate / A.5396 - Referred to Education 2016: S.4513 - Passed Senate / A.3428 - Referred to Education 2015: S.4513 - Passed Senate / A.3428 - Referred to Education 2014: S.2460 - Referred to Education 2013: S.2460 - Referred to Education /A.870 - Referred to Education 2012: S.4366 - Referred to Education /A.2626 - Referred to Education 2011: S.4366 - Referred to Education 2010: A.11140 - Referred to Education
Fiscal implications
None.
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.