What's happening
This bill creates a commission to study and recommend ways to close achievement gaps for multilingual learners in New York schools.
Why it matters
The commission’s recommendations could drive major changes in how New York educates multilingual learners, potentially impacting curriculum, teacher training, and school funding priorities statewide.
By mandating public hearings in five different regions, the bill ensures that diverse communities—including urban and suburban districts—have a chance to voice their specific challenges and needs, making the process more inclusive and responsive.
The commission’s membership requirements guarantee input from experts in bilingual and English as a Second Language education, as well as teachers and equity specialists, which could lead to more informed and practical policy solutions.
A formal report with legislative recommendations could lay the groundwork for new laws or funding models addressing achievement gaps, meaning the commission’s findings may shape state education policy for years to come.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Multilingual Learner Commission
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Signed chap.635
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.563
- Substituted for A8211A
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 58–4
- Ordered to third reading cal.1543
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Print number 4031b
Show 4 earlier actions
- Amend and recommit to finance
- Print number 4031a
- Amend and recommit to finance
- Referred to finance
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.
Support Multilingual Student Success
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Carmen E. Arroyo
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4031--B
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 25, 2019
Introduced by Sens. JACKSON, BIAGGI, KENNEDY, MAY, MYRIE, SALAZAR -read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to establish a commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners in New York; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Commission established. (a) A commission, to be known as the commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners, hereafter referred to as the commission, is hereby created to study and prepare a report on the best practices and legislative recommendations to close the achievement gap and high school graduation rates between multilingual learners and their English proficient peers from prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The report will advise the legislature, governor, board of regents, and New York state education officials on the best practices, provide policy and legislative recommendations to close the achievement gap; and the feasibility and cost to implement such practices in schools.
(b) The commission shall be composed of eleven members, appointed as follows: (i) two members shall be appointed by the governor; (ii) two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; (iii) two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; (iv) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; (v) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; (vi) two members shall be appointed by the chancellor of the board of regents; and (vii) one member shall be the commissioner of the New York state education department or appointed thereof who shall serve
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10122-06-9
S. 4031--B 2
as chairperson of the commission. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled within 30 days in the manner provided for original appointments.
(c) The commission shall be made up of at least: (i) one education professional who specializes in English to Speakers of Other Languages and Bilingual Programs; (ii) one teacher who has experience working with multilingual students; (iii) one education professional who has experience working with early childhood multilingual learners; (iv) one education professional who has experience with multilingual newcomers and high school graduation; and (v) one education professional who has expertise in education equity of New York state students.
(d) The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
§ 2. Appointments to commission. The governor, the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the assembly, the minority leader of the senate, the chancellor of the board of regents, and the commissioner of education shall submit their appointments no later than 120 days after this act becomes a law.
§ 3. Commission staff and agency liaison. The commissioner of education shall designate such employees of the department of education as are reasonably necessary to provide support services to the commission. The commissioner of education shall appoint one or more representatives of the department of education to serve as liaison between such department and the commission.
§ 4. Accomplishment of purpose. The commission shall be authorized and empowered to undertake any studies, surveys or analyses it may deem relevant. The commission shall meet and hold at least five public hearings, pursuant to subdivision (a) of section one of this act, one in each of the following regions of the state: Long Island, the city of New York, the city of Buffalo, the city of Syracuse and the city of Yonkers.
§ 5. Report on best practices and legislative recommendations. The commission shall make a report of its findings, including any recommendations for legislative action as it may deem necessary and appropriate, to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chairperson of the senate committee on education, the chairperson of the senate committee on New York City education, the chairperson of the assembly committee on education, the board of regents, and the commissioner of education no later than one year after all appointments to the commission have been made.
§ 6. This act shall take effect April 1, 2020 and shall expire and be deemed repealed two years after such date, provided, however, that if upon such date an appropriation to the education department for the purposes of implementing section one of this act shall not have been made, this act shall take effect on the forty-fifth day after such appropriation is made and shall expire and be deemed repealed two years after such date, provided further that the director of the budget shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of such appropriation in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to establish a commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners in New York; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
Purpose
To study and prepare a report on the best practices and legislative recommendations to close the achievement gap and high school graduation rates between multilingual learners and their English proficient peers from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The report will advise the legislature, governor, board of regents, and the New York state educa- tion officials on the best practices, provide policy and legislative recommendations to close the achievement gap; and the feasibility and cost to implement such practices in schools.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 creates the commission, describes its purpose, outlines the number of members, lists who appoints members, provides that vacancies must be filled within 30 days, the expertise commission members must have, when the commission may begin to act, and commission members' expense reimbursement.
Read the full memo (633 words)
Section 2 provides the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the tempo- rary president of the senate, the minority leader of the assembly, the minority leader of the senate, the chancellor of the board of regents, and the commissioner of education shall submit their appointments no later than 120 days after this act becomes a law.
Section 3 details the commission's staff and agency liaison needed to support the commission in writing the best practices and legislative recommendations report. The commissioner of education shall designate such employees of the department of education as are reasonably neces- sary to provide support services to the commission.
Section 4 authorizes the commission to do any studies, surveys or analyses relevant to achieve its purpose. The commission shall meet and hold at least five public hearings pursuant to section one, subdivision (a).
Section 5 describes who will receive the best practices and legislative recommendations report upon its completion; and that the report must be submitted no later than one year after all appointments to the commis- sion have been made.
Section 6 of the bill is the effective date.
Existing law
New bill.
Justification
This bill would help close the achievement gap between multilingual learners and their English proficient peers, as well as improve the graduation rates of multilingual learners. This bill would create a commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners, to write a best practices and legislative recommendations report, which will emphasize the importance of policies and funding for the educa- tional achievement of multilingual learning students to the legislature and the governor. This bill would provide the legislature, the governor, and the state with policies and budget recommendations for an often ignored section of New York's kindergarten through high school student population, which would ensure multilingual learners are provided for and have the same access to education as their English proficient peers.
Legislative history
New bill.
State and local fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect April 1, 2020 and shall expire and be deemed repealed two years after such date, provided, however that if upon such date an appropriation to the education department for the purposes of implementing section one of this act shall not have been made, this act shall take effect on the forty-fifth day after such appropriation is made and shall expire and be deemed repealed two years after such date, provided further that the director of the budget shall notify the legis- lative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of such appropri- ation in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.