NY State Senate Bill 2023-S550

Senate Bill S550

2023-2024 Legislative Session

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

download bill text pdf

Current 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, 2024	referred to education
Jan 05, 2023	referred to education

2023-S550 (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
2017-2018: S313
2019-2020: S1107
2021-2022: S39

2023-S550 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2023-S550 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S550

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN
 
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 stan-
dard 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 guide-
lines 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.0038 of 2021-2022 (Hoylman): Died in Education

S.1107 of 2019-2020(Hoylman):Died

S. 313 of 2017-2018(Hoylman):Died

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

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

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S550 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    550
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 5, 2023
                                ___________
 
 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.
                                                            LBD02571-01-3

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