NY State Senate Bill 2023-S6744

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries 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 libraries
May 08, 2023	referred to libraries

co-Sponsors

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3174
Current Committee:: Senate Libraries
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §274, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S6053, A6339

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires elementary and secondary school libraries provide equitable access to physical and digital media.

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6744

SPONSOR: CHU
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing require-
ments for elementary and secondary school libraries

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure equal access to all school library
resources and ensure each library gets a budget allocation per student
basis to keep resources up to date and relevant.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 274 of the education law to establish a crite-
ria every elementary and secondary school library must follow that are
established by the commissioner of education including:  equal access to
materials, flexible access to all library resources for students, staff,
and faculty, and receive a budget allocation on per student basis and
each school district shall evaluate their school libraries annually

using a rubric provided by the department of education.

Section 2 establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Current education regulations for school libraries has been not updated
in over twenty years and existing state education law regarding school
libraries has not been updated since 1970. With school libraries playing
an increasingly important role in the education process and with the
continuing advancement of technology that school libraries offer to
those they serve, now is the time to ensure that state education law
reflects the important work and capabilities of these educational
resources.

School libraries are so much more than just books, they now feature
technological equipment, media resources, and digital access to a varie-
ty of resources including e-books and databases while providing flexible
and equitable access to space and staff for students, staff and faculty
in our schools. This bill will ensure that school libraries have the
tools that reflect the needs of the student body and school district's
technological capabilities.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S6053 (KAPLAN) Referred to Libraries / A6339 (Jensen) Referred to Educa-
tion

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to
be made and completed on or before such effective date.

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6744
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 8, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CHU  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Libraries
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing  require-
   ments for elementary and secondary school libraries
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 274 of the education law  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   § 274. Use  and care of school library. 1. The school library shall be
 a part of the school equipment and shall be kept in the school  building
 at  all times. Such library shall be devoted to the exclusive use of the
 school, except as otherwise provided by the rules of the commissioner of
 education and except in a district where there is no  free  library,  in
 which  case  such  school library shall be a circulating library for the
 use of the residents of the district.
   2. EACH SCHOOL LIBRARY SHALL:
   A. PROVIDE PHYSICAL ACCESS TO RESOURCES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 BOOKS, TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT, MEDIA, AND OTHER TANGIBLE DOCUMENTS;
   B. PROVIDE DIGITAL ACCESS TO RESOURCES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED  TO,
 E-BOOKS, DATABASES, SOFTWARE AND MEDIA;
   C.  PROVIDE  EQUITABLE, FLEXIBLE ACCESS TO LIBRARY SPACE AND ITS STAFF
 BY SCHOOL STUDENTS, STAFF AND FACULTY; AND
   D. RECEIVE A BUDGET ALLOCATION  ON  A  PER  STUDENT  BASIS  TO  ENSURE
 RESOURCES AND SERVICES REMAIN RELEVANT.
   3.  EACH  SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL ANNUALLY EVALUATE THEIR SCHOOL LIBRARY
 USING A SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAM RUBRIC CREATED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   4. The commissioner of education shall prescribe rules regulating
   [1.] A. The purchase, recording, safekeeping and loaning of  books  in
 school  libraries,  and  the use of such books by pupils and teachers in
 the public schools.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06257-01-3
 S. 6744                             2

 
   [2.] B. The conditions under which books in a school  library  may  be
 used by the public in a district in which a free library is situated.
   [3.]  C. The management of school libraries and their use as circulat-
 ing libraries by the residents of the district in which they  are  situ-
 ated.
   [4.]  D.  The contents and submission of reports of school librarians,
 teachers and other school authorities as to school libraries.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S6744

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

co-Sponsors

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6744

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Iwen Chu

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

co-Sponsors

Nathalia Fernandez

Jessica Scarcella-Spanton

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6744 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments