NY State Senate Bill 2021-S1928

Senate Bill S1928

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to promoting the inclusion of children living in temporary housing in prekindergarten programs

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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to education
Jan 16, 2021	referred to education

2021-S1928 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5835
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3602-e, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: A9237
2017-2018: A4429
2019-2020: S8103, A4795
2023-2024: S1034, A3970

2021-S1928 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to promoting the inclusion of children living in temporary housing in prekindergarten programs; requires school districts to prioritize homeless children on any pre-K waitlists and provides for the reimbursement to school districts of hiring additional staff to accommodate the enrollment of a homeless child.

2021-S1928 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S1928

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to promoting the inclu-
sion of children living in temporary housing in prekindergarten programs

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this legislation promotes the inclusion of children who
are homeless in Pre-kindergarten programs.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new subdivision 19 to Section 3602-E of the Education
Law to provide that schools districts shall give preference to students
living in temporary housing that are on any waitlist for enrolling in
prekindergarten programs.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Research shows the positive impact that pre-kindergarten participation
has on children's academic and social-emotional outcomes. Children who
do not attend high-quality prekindergarten programs enter kindergarten
significantly behind their peers and children experiencing homelessness
are far less likely than their peers to enroll in prekindergarten
programs.

This legislation promotes the inclusion of children who are homeless in
pre-kindergarten programs by prioritizing children who are homeless on
waitlists for pre-kindergarten programs that have reached maximum capac-
ity and by providing reimbursement to school districts for the cost of
hiring an additional staff member when doing so is necessary to enroll a
child in a pre-kindergarten class.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-2020: S.8103 - Referred to Education/A.4795 - Referred to Education

2017-2018: A.4429 - Referred to Education

2015-2016: A.9237 - Referred to Education

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or before
such date.

2021-S1928 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1928
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 16, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- 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 promoting  the  inclu-
   sion  of  children  living  in  temporary  housing  in prekindergarten
   programs

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 3602-e of the education law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 19 to read as follows:
   19. EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT IMPLEMENTING A PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM  SHALL
 PROMOTE  THE INCLUSION OF HOMELESS CHILDREN, AS DEFINED IN SECTION THIR-
 TY-TWO HUNDRED NINE OF THIS CHAPTER.
   A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE  CONTRARY,  WHERE
 THE  CLASS  SIZE  FOR  A  PREKINDERGARTEN  CLASS HAS REACHED ITS MAXIMUM
 CAPACITY, AS DETERMINED BY REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER,  THE  SCHOOL
 DISTRICT  IN WHICH A HOMELESS CHILD IS CURRENTLY TEMPORARILY HOUSED IN A
 MOTEL, HOTEL, SHELTER  OR  OTHER  TEMPORARY  HOUSING  ARRANGEMENT  SHALL
 PRIORITIZE  SUCH  CHILD'S  PLACEMENT ON ANY WAITLIST FOR ENROLLMENT IN A
 PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM.
   B. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE  CONTRARY,  WHERE
 THE  CLASS  SIZE  FOR A PREKINDERGARTEN CLASS NECESSITATES THE HIRING OF
 ADDITIONAL STAFF, AS DETERMINED BY REGULATIONS OF THE  COMMISSIONER,  TO
 ACCOMMODATE  THE  ENROLLMENT  OF  A  HOMELESS CHILD, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
 SHALL BE REIMBURSED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE DIRECT COST OF HIRING SUCH
 ADDITIONAL STAFF, NOT OTHERWISE REIMBURSED UNDER OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS,
 CALCULATED PURSUANT TO REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have  become  a  law.    Effective  immediately, the addition, amendment
 and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the  implementa-
 tion  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or
 before such date.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD02316-01-1

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