NY State Senate Bill 2023-S2044

Senate Bill S2044

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Provides for the viewing of footage captured by an interior school bus camera in certain circumstances

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

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to education
Jan 18, 2023	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2023-S2044 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3169
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §3639, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S8858, A8366

2023-S2044 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for the viewing of photo or video footage captured by a camera installed inside a school bus, by a parent or guardian of a pupil, when such parent, guardian or pupil reports any incident of physical harm, harassment, intimidation or bullying occurring against the pupil while such pupil travelled on such school bus.

2023-S2044 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2044

SPONSOR: TEDISCO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to providing for the
viewing of footage captured by an interior school bus camera in certain
circumstances

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill will provide parents and guardians with a reasonable path
towards accessing available video & photographic documentation that
pertains to any incident occurring on a school bus that results in the
potential impairment of their child's well-being.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

School boards throughout New York State will establish policies to allow
for viewing of photo or video footage captured by camera installed
inside a school bus, by a parent or guardian of a pupil when an instance
of physical harm, harassment, intimidation, or bullying has occurred.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The safety and well-being of our children is among the first and fore-
most responsibilities our school districts are tasked with.  Fulfilling
this duty in the most literal sense often begins and ends with a child's
experience on the bus ride to and from school.

Student safety best practices first begins with creating an environment
that is conducive to establishing routinely positive and constructive
experiences. The second is in the remedy through which incidents of
undesirable experiences are resolved.  Video monitoring systems help
provide a record of overall rider behaviors and provide vital context
when investigating inappropriate behaviors. Ensuring availability of
this record in the fullest extent not just for school administration but
parents as well, is essential in providing the necessary tools to
resolve individual cases as well as potential problems that require long
term fundamental issues as well.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

04/25/22: S.8858 REFERRED TO EDUCATION

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take place immediately.

2023-S2044 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2044
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 18, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. TEDISCO -- 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  providing  for  the
   viewing  of  footage  captured  by  an  interior  school bus camera in
   certain circumstances

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The education law is amended by adding a new section 3639
 to read as follows:
   § 3639. ACCESS TO SCHOOL BUS CAMERA FOOTAGE. 1. EACH BOARD  OF  EDUCA-
 TION  OR BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL ADOPT POLICIES TO ALLOW FOR THE VIEWING
 OF PHOTO OR VIDEO FOOTAGE CAPTURED BY A CAMERA INSTALLED INSIDE A SCHOOL
 BUS, AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE  HUNDRED  FORTY-TWO  OF  THE
 VEHICLE  AND  TRAFFIC  LAW,  BY  A  PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A PUPIL WHO IS
 TRANSPORTED TO AND FROM SCHOOL OR TO AND  FROM  SCHOOL-SPONSORED  ACTIV-
 ITIES  BY  SUCH  SCHOOL BUS, WHEN SUCH PARENT, GUARDIAN OR PUPIL REPORTS
 ANY INCIDENT OF PHYSICAL  HARM,  HARASSMENT,  INTIMIDATION  OR  BULLYING
 OCCURRING  AGAINST  THE  PUPIL WHILE SUCH PUPIL TRAVELLED ON SUCH SCHOOL
 BUS.
   2. THE POLICIES ADOPTED BY EACH BOARD OF EDUCATION OR BOARD  OF  TRUS-
 TEES  SHALL  REQUIRE  FOOTAGE  TO BE VIEWED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE
 DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OR  A  SCHOOL  OFFICIAL.  SUCH
 POLICIES  SHALL  COMPLY  WITH  APPLICABLE  STATE REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL
 PRIVACY LAWS.  SUCH POLICIES MAY ESTABLISH A  PROCESS  OR  TIMEFRAME  BY
 WHICH  A  PARENT  OR  GUARDIAN SHALL REQUEST ACCESS TO VIEW THE PHOTO OR
 VIDEO FOOTAGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06470-01-3

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Senate Bill S2044

Share this bill

Sponsored By

James Tedisco