What's happening
This bill requires every public elementary and secondary school in New York to have at least one licensed or certified social worker.
Why it matters
Expands access to mental health and social support for all students. by mandating at least one licensed or certified social worker in every public school, potentially improving student well-being, safety, and academic outcomes.
Sets a statewide minimum standard. , ensuring that all schools—not just those already able to afford or prioritize social work services—must provide these supports, which could reduce disparities between districts.
Separates this requirement from special education mandates. , meaning social worker positions created by this law are intended to serve the general student population, not just students with disabilities, leading to broader, more inclusive support.
May require additional funding and staffing adjustments. for school districts, particularly in areas where social workers are not currently present, impacting school budgets and potentially creating new jobs for qualified professionals.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Social Workers in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1312
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2025
Introduced by Sens. GOUNARDES, BRISPORT, MYRIE, PARKER, SALAZAR -- 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 a licensed or certified social worker in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high school
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 803-c to read as follows:
§ 803-c. Social workers licensed under article one hundred fifty-four of this chapter or certified pursuant to rules and regulations established by the department, required in elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high schools. The board of education or trustees of every public school district in the state shall on and after July first, two thousand twenty-five employ and provide access to at least one licensed or certified school social worker in each of the schools under their jurisdiction exclusive of any school social workers funded or mandated through any special education funding, aid, regulation or statute. Such licensed or certified school social worker shall perform such duties within their lawful scope of practice.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01374-01-5
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 a licensed or certified social worker in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high school
Purpose or general idea of bill
To ensure that all elementary, intermediate, middle, junior and senior high schools throughout New York State have an effective social work program in place to meet the needs of their students.
Summary of provisions
The Education Law is amended by adding a new section 803-c to require the board of trustees of every school district to employ at least one licensed or certified social worker in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high school under their jurisdiction. This employment shall be exclusive of any social workers funded or mandated through any special education funding, aid, regulation or stat- ute.
Section two of this bill sets the effective date.
Justification
The role and function of a licensed or certified school social worker and the role and function of other pupil personnel services are distinctly separate. In addition to possessing certification through the Office of Teaching Initiatives, school social workers are licensed by the New York State Board of Regents with a scope of practice legally protected under Article 154 of the New York State Education Law.
Licensed and certified school social workers are at the forefront of school social, behavioral, and community issues. The skills and compe- tencies of these licensed and certified school social workers enable schools to carry out their primary functions of educating all pupils more effectively.
Reducing or eliminating the presence of social workers in our schools would have a devastating effect on our students. Many families experi- ence loss of income, rising debt, unemployment, underemployment, loss of insurance, housing instability, and food insecurity in unstable economic times. These factors are known to contribute to increased incidences of mental illness, substance abuse, suicide, violence, crime, and in an academic environment, increased absence and risk of school failure.
Licensed and certified school social workers are qualified to,address these problems. By applying appropriate intervention strategies, school social workers are able to alleviate these issues and support academic success. Every student in New York deserves equal access to services and every school in New York should provide the important services social workers can provide.
Prior legislative history
2024: S54 - Referred to Education
2023: S54 - Referred to Education
2022: S1062 - Referred to Education
2021: S1062 - Referred to Education
2020: S3477 - Referred to Education
2019: S3477 - Referred to Education
2018: S7526-A 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.