NY State Senate Bill 2015-S4575

Senate Bill S4575

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Requires investigation of school district personnel involved with the care, custody or supervision of a child

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education 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

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to education
Mar 30, 2015	referred to education

2015-S4575 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §3001-e, amd §2590-h, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S516
2011-2012: S3545
2013-2014: S2302
2017-2018: S6148
2019-2020: S1123
2021-2022: S4566
2023-2024: S3081

2015-S4575 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires pre-employment investigation of school district personnel to determine criminal history or the presence of controlled substances or communicable diseases; requires submission to fingerprinting and other tests.

2015-S4575 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S4575

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
pre-employment investigations for personnel employed in school
districts

PURPOSE: This legislation requires the investigation of school
district personnel involved with the care, custody or supervision of a
child.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section
3001-e.

Section 2. Subdivision 20 of section 2590-h of the education law is
amended by chapter 100 of the law of 2003. Section 4. This act shall
take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law;
provided however, that any rules and regulations necessary to
implement the provisions of the act shall be promulgated on or before
its effective date.

JUSTIFICATION: The legislature recognizes the necessity that any
person who is employed or assigned to work as part of the workfare
program involving the care and custody or supervision of a child shall
be investigated as to his or her qualifications, use of a controlled

substance and be free of communicable diseases. Since the federal
government passed legislation concerning workfare for welfare
recipients, there has been concern by parents of children that there
be some standards established concerning workfare persons assigned to
work involving the care, custody or supervision of children in various
programs. These areas of concern are in the areas of competence,
health, safety, and security for the children. The provisions of the
bill are meant to ease the parental concerns.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2012:S.3545- Referred to Education/A.7352 -
Referred to Education 2011: S.3545- Referred to Education/A.7352 -
Referred to Education 2010: S.516 -Referred to Education/A.2542 -
Referred to Education 2009: S.516 -Referred to Education/A.2542 -
Referred to Education 2008: S.5548- Referred to Education/A.10871
Referred to Education 2007: S.5549- Referred to Education 2006: S.4007
- Referred to Education 2005: S.1462 - Referred to Education
01/15/13REFERRED TO EDUCATION 01/08/14REFERRED TO EDUCATION

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after
it shall have become a law; provided however, that any rules and
regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the act shall be
promulgated on or before its effective date.

2015-S4575 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  4575

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             March 30, 2015
                               ___________

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 pre-employment  inves-
  tigations for personnel employed in school districts

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

  Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3001-e
to read as follows:
  S 3001-E. PRE-EMPLOYMENT INVESTIGATION OF PERSONNEL EMPLOYED IN SCHOOL
DISTRICTS. 1. EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL CONDUCT A PRE-EMPLOYMENT BACK-
GROUND INVESTIGATION FOR ALL PERSONNEL EMPLOYED IN THE DISTRICT.
  2. EACH DISTRICT, IN COOPERATION WITH THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SERVICES, SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS REQUIRING ALL PERSONNEL  EMPLOYED
IN SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SUBMIT TO MANDATORY BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRES
AND  TO  SUCH  OTHER  TESTS FOR THE PRESENCE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES OR
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AS SHALL BE DETERMINED TO BE NECESSARY AND PROPER.
  3. EVERY PERSON, AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT IN  A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT,
SHALL  COMPLETE  A  BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRE, SUBMIT TO SUCH OTHER TESTS
FOR THE PRESENCE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES OR  COMMUNICABLE  DISEASES  AS
SHALL  BE  DETERMINED  TO BE NECESSARY AND PROPER AND SIGN A DECLARATION
UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY REGARDING ANY PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS.
  4. NO SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEE SHALL BE ASSIGNED TO WORK INVOLVING THE
CARE, CUSTODY OR SUPERVISION OF A CHILD IF IT IS  DETERMINED  THAT  SUCH
PERSON HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE PRESENCE OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE OR
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE.
  5. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "COMMUNICABLE DISEASE" SHALL MEAN ANY
DISEASE  THAT  THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH, IN THE REASONABLE EXERCISE OF
HIS OR HER MEDICAL JUDGEMENT, DETERMINES  TO  BE  COMMUNICABLE,  RAPIDLY
EMERGENT  OR  A  SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH. THE LIST OF DESIG-
NATED COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IS IN SECTION 2.1 OF TITLE TEN  OF  THE  NEW
YORK CODES, RULES AND REGULATIONS.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00850-01-5

S. 4575                             2

  S 2. Subdivision 20 of section 2590-h of the education law, as amended
by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
  20.  Ensure compliance with qualifications established for all person-
nel employed in the city district, including the taking of fingerprints,
BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRES AND SUBMISSION TO SUCH  OTHER  TESTS  FOR  THE
PRESENCE  OF  CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES OR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AS SHALL BE
DETERMINED TO BE NECESSARY AND PROPER as a  prerequisite  for  licensure
and/or  employment  of  such  personnel. Every set of fingerprints taken
pursuant to this subdivision shall be promptly submitted to the division
of criminal justice services where it shall be appropriately  processed.
Furthermore,  the division of criminal justice services is authorized to
submit the fingerprints to the federal bureau  of  investigation  for  a
national criminal history record check.
  S 3. Subdivision 20 of section 2590-h of the education law, as amended
by chapter 100 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
  20.  Ensure compliance with qualifications established for all person-
nel employed in the city district, including the taking of fingerprints,
BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRES AND SUBMISSION TO SUCH  OTHER  TESTS  FOR  THE
PRESENCE  OF  CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES OR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AS SHALL BE
DETERMINED TO BE NECESSARY AND PROPER as a  prerequisite  for  licensure
and/or  employment  of  such  personnel. Every set of fingerprints taken
pursuant to this subdivision shall be promptly submitted to the division
of criminal justice services where it shall be appropriately  processed.
Furthermore,  the division of criminal justice services is authorized to
submit the fingerprints to the federal bureau  of  investigation  for  a
national criminal history record check.
  S  4.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law; provided, however, that  effective  immediately,  the
addition,  amendment  and/or repeal of any rule and regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
and  directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date;
and provided, further, that the amendments to subdivision 20 of  section
2590-h  of the education law, made by section two of this act, shall not
affect the expiration and reversion of such  section  and  shall  expire
therewith,  when  upon  such  date  section three of this act shall take
effect.

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