NY State Senate Bill 2015-S4230

Senate Bill S4230

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Provides that no school located in a city with a population of one million or more shall be in session on the day of a primary or general election

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee New York City Education Subcommittee Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to new york city education subcommittee
Apr 30, 2015	committee discharged and committed to new york city education subcommittee
Mar 11, 2015	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2015-S4230 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate New York City Education Subcommittee
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3604, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S5494
2011-2012: S2346
2013-2014: S4737
2017-2018: S4012
2019-2020: S2745
2021-2022: S3426
2023-2024: S2024

2015-S4230 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that no school located in a city with a population of one million or more shall be in session on general election day.

2015-S4230 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S4230

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
school session days

PURPOSE:

This bill amends Education Law section 3604 subdivision 8 to prohibit
school on either primary or general election day in a city with a
population of one million or more.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Prohibits school on primary or general election day in a
city with one million or more residents.

Section 2: Provides for the Act to take effect immediately.

JUSTIFICATION:

The need for suitable poll sites, especially disabled accessible ones,
has never been greater. Throughout the state new ballot marking
devices and optical scan voting machines that are accessible to those
with disabilities have replaced the lever machines. However, while
these new systems are disabled accessible, all poll sites are not.

The new voting systems and their ability to handle multiple ballot
types and election districts will require a reconfiguration of
election districts and poll sites to maximize the efficient use of the
new machines. Schools are ideal poll sites because they are public
buildings, are usually accessible to the disabled and have ample
parking. Election Law section 4-104.3 reflects a preference for using
schools as poll sites by stating that "a building exempt from taxation
shall be used whenever possible as a polling place if it is situated
in the same or a contiguous election district and, and may contain as
many distinctly separate polling places as public convenience may
require." The expense, if any, incidental to its use shall be paid
like the expense of other places for registration and voting.

If the board or body empowered to designate polling places chooses a
public school building for such purposes, as often happens, the board
or agency which controls such building must make available a room or
rooms in such building which are suitable for registration and voting,
and which are as close as possible to a convenient entrance to such
building and accessible to the physically disabled.

However, the use of schools for poll sites when school is in session
can and often does disrupt the usual schedule and operations of the
entire school day, as well as the instruction occurring in the
classrooms. And, an increased concern about the safety of the children
at the schools makes school officials reluctant to open up their
buildings for a public use while children are present. It also reduces
available parking when school is in session on election day.

By requiring that schools in cities with a population or one million
or more are to be closed on election day, this bill will increase the
availability of accessible public buildings for poll sites while


causing minimal disruption to a school and no security risk for
students.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2013-2014: S. 4737 - Referred to Education.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately.

2015-S4230 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  4230

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             March 11, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. ADDABBO, PARKER, SANDERS -- read twice and ordered
  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Educa-
  tion

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school session days

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 3604  of  the  education  law,  as
amended  by  chapter  260  of  the  laws  of 2012, is amended to read as
follows:
  8. No school shall be in session on a Saturday  or  a  legal  holiday,
except  general election day, Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birth-
day, and except that driver education classes  may  be  conducted  on  a
Saturday.  NO  SCHOOL LOCATED IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION
OR MORE SHALL BE IN SESSION ON THE DAY OF A PRIMARY ELECTION OR  GENERAL
ELECTION.  A  deficiency  not exceeding four days during any school year
caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by  superintendents
of  schools of city school districts or other school districts employing
superintendents  of  schools  shall  be  excused  by  the  commissioner,
notwithstanding  any provision of law, rule or regulation to the contra-
ry, a school district may elect to schedule such conference days in  the
last  two weeks of August, subject to collective bargaining requirements
pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service  law,  and  such  days
shall  be  counted  towards  the  required  one  hundred  eighty days of
session, provided however, that such  scheduling  shall  not  alter  the
obligation  of the school district to provide transportation to students
in non-public elementary and secondary schools or charter  schools.  The
commissioner  shall  excuse  a deficiency not exceeding four days during
such school year caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by
such superintendents, provided that at least two  such  conference  days
during  such  school  year  shall  be dedicated to staff attendance upon
conferences providing staff development relating  to  implementation  of

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04519-02-5

S. 4230                             2

the new high learning standards and assessments, as adopted by the board
of  regents.  Notwithstanding  any other provision of law, rule or regu-
lation to the contrary, school districts may elect to use one or more of
such  allowable  conference days in units of not less than one hour each
to provide staff development activities relating  to  implementation  of
the  new high learning standards and assessments. A district making such
election may provide such staff development during the regularly  sched-
uled  daily  session and apply such units to satisfy a deficiency in the
length of one or more daily sessions of instruction for pupils as speci-
fied in regulations of the commissioner. The commissioner  shall  assure
that such conference days include appropriate school violence prevention
and  intervention  training, and may require that up to one such confer-
ence day be dedicated for such purpose.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S4230

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Sponsored By

Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee New York City Education Subcommittee Committee

co-Sponsors

Leroy Comrie

Adriano Espaillat

Kevin S. Parker

James Sanders Jr.

2015-S4230 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S4230 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S4230 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S4230 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments