BILL NUMBER: S1696

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enabling high school
students to use public transportation to ride to and from school at no
charge

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation would ensure that a student who wishes to attend a high
Students should be able to attend the school of their choice anywhere in
New York State without the high cost of public transportation creating a
financial barrier.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends subdivision 1 of section 3635 of the Education Law to
require that all high school students shall be entitled to the use of
public transportation without charge for one daily round-trip ride on a
school day to and from their home to their school. School districts
              

shall provide suitable ID cards to each student for the public transit
system to be able to determine each student's entitlement to this bene-
fit.

Section 2: Sets effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State boasts some of the most academically competitive high
schools in the country. Students accepted to these institutions are some
of the most talented and hardworking youth in the nation, and they come
from all across the state to attend these establishments in hopes of
bettering their futures and receiving a high-quality education.

Unfortunately, students, particularly those from low and middle-income
households are often unable to attend these schools, even if they excel
academically, because the high costs of public transportation to and
from these institutions can be exorbitant and exceed most families budg-
ets. For example, a student who lives in Poughkeepsie, NY, and wants to
attend a highly acclaimed school in Manhattan must pay $3,000 a year at
Metro-North's current student discount rate.  Furthermore when in
Manhattan, there is an additional cost for public transportation to
reach the school. This presents a barrier that some families cannot
overcome.

This bill will require that any public mass transit corporation that
receives New York State funding, waives all expenses for transportation
when traveling to and from school.

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that children who work hard in
their studies and, by their initiative, seek out the best education they
can receive, are rewarded for their efforts by taking down any financial
barrier caused by the high cost of public transportation going to and
from school.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

Senate

2016: No Senate Same-As

2017: No Senate Same-As

2018: No Senate Same-As

2019: S3160, Referred to Education

2020: S3160, Referred to Education

2021: S1842, Referred to Education

2022: S1842, Referred to Education

2023: S446, Referred to Education

2024: S446, Referred to Education

Assembly

2017: A2447, Referred to Education

2018: A2447, Referred to Education

2019: A7101, Referred to Education

2020: A7101, Referred to Education

2021: A389, Referred to Education

2022: A389, Referred to Education

2023: A1054, Referred to Education

2024: A1054, Referred to Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred-eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.