NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1316

Senate Bill S1316

2025-2026 Legislative Session

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

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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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 09, 2025	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2025-S1316 (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
2023-2024: S550

2025-S1316 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2025-S1316 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1316

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN-SIGAL
 
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.550 of 2023-2024 (Hoylman-Sigal): Died in Education

S.0038 of 2021-2022 (Hoylman): Died in Education

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

S.0313 of 2017-2018 (Hoylman):Died in Education

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

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

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S1316 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1316
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  HOYLMAN-SIGAL,  JACKSON -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Educa-
   tion
 
 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.
                                                            LBD04303-01-5

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Senate Bill S1316

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Sponsored By

Brad Hoylman-Sigal