NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7237

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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 08, 2024	reported and committed to education
Mar 22, 2024	notice of committee consideration - requested
Jan 03, 2024	referred to codes
May 18, 2023	referred to codes

Votes

- May 8, 2024 - Codes Committee Vote
  S7237
  
  7
  
  Aye
  
  2
  
  Nay
  
  2
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  2
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Codes Committee Vote: May 8, 2024
      
      aye (7)
      
      Bailey
      
      Gallivan
      
      Harckham
      
      Murray
      
      Palumbo
      
      Ryan
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      nay (2)
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Myrie
      
      aye wr (2)
      
      Brisport
      
      Persaud
      
      excused (2)
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      O'Mara

co-Sponsors

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8264
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §844, Exec L; add §2801-c, Ed L

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the school safety specialist act; establishes a certification and training program for school safety specialists; outlines the roles and duties of school safety specialists.

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7237

SPONSOR: ASHBY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law and the education law, in relation to
establishing the school safety specialist act

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would direct the Division of Criminal Justice Services to
create a new certification program for School Safety Specialists, and
allow school districts the ability to hire them.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one names the act "School Safety Specialist Act".

Section two amends the executive law to direct the Division of Criminal
Justice Services (DCJS) to create a new certification program for School
Safety Specialists. DCJS is tasked with developing the certification
program and its content and methodology, as well as the creation of the

application and certification process and the maintenance and adminis-
tration of such program.

The topics of said training shall include but not be limited to: how to
prevent, prepare and respond to school safety incidents; how to create a
school culture of safety; emergency preparedness planning; school threat
assessment; situational awareness; strategic crisis leadership and risk
communication; school-based mental health mediation; drug prevention and
awareness; cyberbullying; predatory sexual behavior; substance use;
violence; suicide prevention and mediation; and gang resistance.

Section 3 allows any public or nonpublic school to employ a school safe-
ty specialist for the purpose of providing improved public safety and
security on school grounds. A school district may employ as many as
deemed necessary.

A school safety specialist may: propose and enforce policies and admin-
istrative actions related to school safety; utilize any technology to
implement safety; serve as a liaison with other school officials and
community agencies, including but not limited to, other law enforcement
agencies, courts, health care entities, and mental health entities;
develop and execute strategies for prevention, response and recovery
efforts for incidents/and or emergency situations occurring on school
grounds and/or involving students, faculty, administration or visitors
to the school; assist in school emergency drills and create new school
safety plans; and provide educational and mentoring services to
students.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

School safety remains a paramount concern for students, parents, teach-
ers, administrators and staff. As changes in technology accelerate and
shift the challenges facing our children, our approach to school safety
must be professional, comprehensive and ever-evolving.

Allowing administrators to hire a dedicated School Safety Specialist
means that the security of our campuses and the well-being of our kids
won't fall through the bureaucratic cracks. Requiring these profes-
sionals to be certified by DCJS will promote competency, ensure account-
ability and create exacting standards commensurate with the importance
of the job.

From educating kids about online safety to developing and implementing
emergency response drills and plans, School Safety Specialists will
enhance student life and, if called upon, save students' lives.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 120th day after it shall have become a
law; however effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal
of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act
are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective
date.

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7237
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 18, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ASHBY  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law and the education law, in relation  to
   establishing the school safety specialist act
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as  the  "school
 safety specialist act".
   §  2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to read
 as follows:
   § 844. SCHOOL SAFETY SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. 1. THE DIVISION
 SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR  SCHOOL  SAFETY
 SPECIALISTS, INCLUDING:
   (A) DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH PROGRAM AND ITS CONTENT AND METHODOLOGY;
   (B) CREATION OF THE APPLICATION AND CERTIFICATION PROCESS; AND
   (C) MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH PROGRAM.
   2. TOPICS OF TRAINING FOR SCHOOL SAFETY SPECIALISTS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT
 NOT BE LIMITED TO: HOW TO PREVENT, PREPARE, AND RESPOND TO SCHOOL SAFETY
 INCIDENTS; HOW TO CREATE A CULTURE OF SCHOOL SAFETY; EMERGENCY PREPARED-
 NESS  PLANNING; SCHOOL THREAT ASSESSMENT; SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; STRATE-
 GIC CRISIS LEADERSHIP AND RISK COMMUNICATION; SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH
 MEDIATION; DRUG PREVENTION AND AWARENESS; CYBERBULLYING; PREDATORY SEXU-
 AL BEHAVIOR; SUBSTANCE USE; VIOLENCE; SUICIDE PREVENTION AND  MEDIATION;
 AND GANG RESISTANCE.
   §  3.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 2801-c to
 read as follows:
   § 2801-C. SCHOOL SAFETY SPECIALIST. 1. ANY PUBLIC OR NONPUBLIC  SCHOOL
 MAY  EMPLOY  A  SCHOOL  SAFETY  SPECIALIST CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO SECTION
 EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR OF  THE  EXECUTIVE  LAW,  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF
 PROVIDING  IMPROVED  PUBLIC  SAFETY  AND  SECURITY  ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. A
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11552-01-3
 S. 7237                             2

 
 SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO  EMPLOY  AS  MANY  SCHOOL  SAFETY
 SPECIALISTS AS SUCH DISTRICT DEEMS NECESSARY.
   2. SCHOOL SAFETY SPECIALISTS, IN EXECUTING THEIR ROLE, MAY ALSO:
   A.  PROPOSE AND ENFORCE POLICIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS RELATED TO
 SCHOOL SAFETY;
   B. UTILIZE ANY TECHNOLOGY TO IMPLEMENT SAFETY;
   C. SERVE AS A LIAISON WITH OTHER SCHOOL OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY  AGEN-
 CIES,  INCLUDING,  BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, COURTS,
 HEALTH CARE ENTITIES, AND MENTAL HEALTH ENTITIES;
   D. DEVELOP AND EXECUTE STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTION, RESPONSE, AND RECOV-
 ERY EFFORTS FOR  INCIDENTS  AND/OR  EMERGENCY  SITUATIONS  OCCURRING  ON
 SCHOOL  GROUNDS INVOLVING STUDENTS, FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION, OR VISITORS
 TO SUCH SCHOOL;
   E. ASSIST IN SCHOOL EMERGENCY DRILLS AND CREATING  NEW  SCHOOL  SAFETY
 PLANS; AND
   F. PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND MENTORING SERVICES TO STUDENTS.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation 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 S7237

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

May 8, 2024 - Codes Committee Vote

Codes Committee Vote: May 8, 2024

co-Sponsors

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S7237

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Jacob Ashby

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

co-Sponsors

George M. Borrello

Peter Oberacker

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7237 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments