NY State Senate Bill 2017-S313

Senate Bill S313

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Relates to the safe operation and maintenance of all elementary and secondary school science laboratories

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 03, 2018	referred to education
Jan 04, 2017	referred to education

2017-S313 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §305, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S5470
2019-2020: S1107
2021-2022: S39
2023-2024: S550

2017-S313 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the safe operation and maintenance of all elementary and secondary school science laboratories.

2017-S313 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S313

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to the safe operation
and maintenance of all elementary and secondary school science
laboratories

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To establish standard guidelines to be followed in elementary and
secondary school science laboratories in order to ensure the safety of
faculty, staff, and students when conducting scientific experiments.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1 grants the Commissioner of the State Education Department
(SED) the authority to promulgate rules and regulations concerning
standard operating procedure in all elementary and secondary school
science laboratories, including but not limited to maintenance,
inspection, and usage guidelines, safety training courses, and
prohibition of dangerous equipment or scientific demonstrations.

Section 2 establishes that the act shall take effect immediately.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Over the last decade, there have been several instances, both in New
York and across the country, of scientific experiments being performed
in elementary or secondary school laboratories under dangerous and
unsafe conditions, resulting in serious harm to students and staff.
Although practical experiments are an important part of a scientific
curriculum, we have an obligation to our teachers and students to
ensure that demonstrations performed on school grounds do not pose an
undue risk of personal injury to those involved.

This legislation would require the SED Commissioner to promulgate
guidelines and procedures that would ensure the safety of our faculty,
staff, and students while still allowing for an exciting, creative,
and hands-on educational curriculum in science classes.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

S.5470 of 2015-2016 (Hoylman): Died in Education

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2017-S313 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    313
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- 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 the safe operation and
   maintenance of all elementary and secondary school  science  laborato-
   ries

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 19-a to read as follows:
   19-A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE PROCEDURES AND  GUIDELINES  BY
 WHICH  ALL ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL SCIENCE LABORATORIES SHALL BE
 OPERATED AND MAINTAINED TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS  AND
 STAFF.  SUCH  PROCEDURES  AND  GUIDELINES  SHALL  INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM,
 CLASSROOM AND LABORATORY INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, STORAGE AND  USAGE  OF
 SAFETY  EQUIPMENT,  MAINTENANCE, STORAGE AND USAGE OF SCIENCE LABORATORY
 MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT, SAFETY AND HEALTH TRAINING FOR  SCHOOL  EMPLOY-
 EES,  AND  PROCEDURES  TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE EVENT OF AN INJURY OR ACCI-
 DENT, AND SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH ALL OTHER APPLICABLE FEDERAL OR STATE
 SAFETY REGULATIONS. THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO DIRECT ANY OR  ALL
 ELEMENTARY  AND  SECONDARY  SCHOOLS TO TEMPORARILY OR INDEFINITELY CEASE
 USING MATERIALS OR EQUIPMENT OR  CONDUCTING  SCIENCE  DEMONSTRATIONS  OR
 STUDENT  LABORATORY  EXERCISES THAT THE COMMISSIONER HAS DETERMINED POSE
 AN UNDUE RISK OF HARM TO STUDENTS, TEACHERS OR STAFF.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05563-01-7

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