S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3088
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 2, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  PHEFFER AMATO, COLTON, COOK -- 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 605 of the laws  of  2019,  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. At
 least two such conference days during such school year  shall  be  dedi-
 cated  to  staff attendance upon conferences providing staff development
 relating to implementation  of  the  new  high  learning  standards  and
 assessments,  as  adopted  by the board of regents.  Notwithstanding any
 other provision of law, rule  or  regulation  to  the  contrary,  school
 districts may elect to use one or more of such allowable conference days
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06431-01-3
              

 A. 3088                             2
 
 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  on any day during which sessions are allowed and apply such
 units to satisfy a deficiency  in  the  length  of  one  or  more  daily
 sessions  of  instruction  for pupils as specified in regulations of the
 commissioner. The commissioner shall assure that  such  conference  days
 include  appropriate  school violence prevention and intervention train-
 ing, and may require that up to one such conference day be dedicated for
 such purpose.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.