Senate Bill S6537A

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to the frequency and implementation of lock-down drills in schools

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly 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
Votes

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2023-S6537 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6665
Current Committee:
Assembly Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §807, Ed L

2023-S6537 - Summary

Decreases the frequency of lock-down drills in schools; directs that such drills shall be implemented with a trauma-informed approach; permits parents to opt their children out of such drills.

2023-S6537 - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6537 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6537
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 26, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- 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 lock-down drills
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section  807  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  section  2  of part B of chapter 54 of the laws of 2016, is
 amended to read as follows:
   1. It shall be the duty of the principal or other person in charge  of
 every  public  or  private  school or educational institution within the
 state, other than colleges or universities, to instruct  and  train  the
 pupils  by  means  of  drills, so that they may in a sudden emergency be
 able to respond appropriately in the shortest possible time and  without
 confusion  or  panic.  Such  drills shall be held at least [twelve] NINE
 times in each school year, [eight] SIX of which required drills shall be
 held between September first and  December  thirty-first  of  each  such
 year. Eight of all such drills shall be evacuation drills, four of which
 shall be through use of the fire escapes on buildings where fire escapes
 are provided or through the use of identified secondary means of egress.
 [Four  of  all  such]  ONE  required [drills] DRILL shall be A lock-down
 [drills] DRILL.  Drills shall be conducted at  different  times  of  the
 school  day.  Pupils shall be instructed in the procedure to be followed
 in the event that a fire occurs during the  lunch  period  or  assembly,
 provided however, that such additional instruction may be waived where a
 drill  is  held during the regular school lunch period or assembly. Four
 additional drills shall be held in each school  year  during  the  hours
 after  sunset  and  before sunrise in school buildings in which students
 are provided with  sleeping  accommodations.  At  least  two  additional
 drills  shall  be  held  during  summer school in buildings where summer
 school is conducted, and one of such drills shall  be  held  during  the
 first week of summer school.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10751-02-3
              

co-Sponsors

2023-S6537A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6665
Current Committee:
Assembly Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §807, Ed L

2023-S6537A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Decreases the frequency of lock-down drills in schools; directs that such drills shall be implemented with a trauma-informed approach; permits parents to opt their children out of such drills.

2023-S6537A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6537A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6537--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 26, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, MYRIE, WEBB --
   read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to
   the  Committee  on Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Educa-
   tion in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged,
   bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended  and  recommitted  to  said
   committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to lock-down drills
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section  807  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  section  2  of part B of chapter 54 of the laws of 2016, is
 amended to read as follows:
   1. It shall be the duty of the principal or other person in charge  of
 every  public  or  private  school or educational institution within the
 state, other than colleges or universities, to instruct  and  train  the
 pupils  by  means  of  drills, so that they may in a sudden emergency be
 able to respond appropriately in the shortest possible time and  without
 confusion  or  panic.  Such  drills  shall be held at least [twelve] TEN
 times in each school year, [eight] SIX of which required drills shall be
 held between September first and  December  thirty-first  of  each  such
 year. Eight of all such drills shall be evacuation drills, four of which
 shall be through use of the fire escapes on buildings where fire escapes
 are provided or through the use of identified secondary means of egress.
 [Four  of  all  such]  TWO  required  drills  shall be lock-down drills.
 Drills shall be conducted at different times of the school  day.  Pupils
 shall  be instructed in the procedure to be followed in the event that a
 fire occurs during the lunch period or assembly, provided however,  that
 such  additional  instruction may be waived where a drill is held during
 the regular school lunch period  or  assembly.  Four  additional  drills
 shall  be  held  in  each  school year during the hours after sunset and
 before sunrise in school buildings in which students are  provided  with
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10751-07-4
              

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