S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1343
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 15, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. PHEFFER AMATO, COLTON, COOK, CRESPO -- Multi-
   Sponsored by -- M.  of A. ABBATE -- read  once  and  referred  to  the
   Committee on Education
 
 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.
              

                                                            LBD03741-01-9

 A. 1343                             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.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.