NY State Senate Bill 2025-S2631

Senate Bill S2631

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires public elementary schools to start no earlier than eight a.m. and public secondary schools to start no earlier than eight thirty a.m.

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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 27, 2025	print number 2631a
Jan 27, 2025	amend (t) and recommit to education
Jan 22, 2025	referred to education

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2025-S2631 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§305 & 3604, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S7466
2023-2024: S5449

2025-S2631 - Summary

Requires public elementary schools to start no earlier than eight a.m. and public secondary schools to start no earlier than eight thirty a.m.

2025-S2631 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2631

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring public
elementary schools to start no earlier than eight a.m. and public high
schools to start no earlier than eight thirty a.m.

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the start time of public schools
Before 8:00am for elementary schools and 8:30AM for high schools across
the State.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 creates a new subdivision 60 of Section 305 of the Education
Law that requires the Commissioner of Education to promulgate rules and
regulations requiring public elementary schools to start no earlier than
8:00AM and public high schools start no earlier than 8:30AM.

Section 2 creates a new subdivision 8-a of Section 3604 of the Education
Law that requires trustees or boards of education to provide a report
for the preceding school year demonstrating that public elementary
schools started no earlier than 8:00AM and public high schools started
no earlier than 8:30AM as a condition for apportionment of school funds.

Section 3 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Analysis by the New York State School Boards Association found that
two-thirds of high schools start the school day before 8AM. According to
the Centers for Disease Control, early school start times can pose
health risks to adolescents, including being overweight, drinking alco-
hol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs. Studies have also shown that the
academic performance of sleep-deprived students suffers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high
schools start no earlier than 8:30AM to ensure that students aged 13 to
18 are receiving the 8 to 10 hours of sleep recommended by doctors.
California enacted legislation in 2019 to mandate high school start
times no earlier than 8:30AM; and several states are currently studying
the effects of beginning school later. This legislation would add New
York to the list of states taking action to prevent adolescent health
issues caused by lack of sleep.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S5449 - Referred to Education/A.440 - Referred to Education

2021-2022: S.1466 - Referred to Education/A.8202 - Referred to Education
 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all academic
years, beginning on and after such date.

2025-S2631 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2631
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- 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  requiring  public
   elementary schools to start no earlier than eight a.m. and public high
   schools to start no earlier than eight thirty a.m.

   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 63 to read as follows:
   63. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS  REQUIRING
 ALL  PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITHIN THE STATE TO START NO EARLIER THAN
 EIGHT A.M. AND ALL PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS WITHIN  THE  STATE  TO  START  NO
 EARLIER THAN EIGHT THIRTY A.M.
   §  2.  Section  3604  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 8-a to read as follows:
   8-A.  A.  NO PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITHIN THE STATE SHALL BE  ENTI-
 TLED  TO  ANY PORTION OF SUCH SCHOOL MONEYS ON SUCH APPORTIONMENT UNLESS
 THE REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OR  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  FOR  THE  PRECEDING
 SCHOOL  YEAR  SHALL  SHOW  THAT SUCH PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STARTED NO
 EARLIER THAN EIGHT A.M.
   B. NO PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN THE STATE SHALL  BE  ENTITLED  TO  ANY
 PORTION OF SUCH SCHOOL MONEYS ON SUCH APPORTIONMENT UNLESS THE REPORT OF
 THE  TRUSTEES  OR BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE PRECEDING SCHOOL YEAR SHALL
 SHOW THAT SUCH PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS STARTED NO EARLIER THAN EIGHT  THIRTY
 A.M.
   §  3.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
 academic years beginning on and after such date.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06985-01-5

2025-S2631A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§305 & 3604, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S7466
2023-2024: S5449

2025-S2631A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires public elementary schools to start no earlier than eight a.m. and public secondary schools to start no earlier than eight thirty a.m.

2025-S2631A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2631A

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring public
elementary schools to start no earlier than eight a.m. and public
secondary schools to start no earlier than eight thirty a.m.

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the start time of public schools
before 8:00am for elementary schools and 8:30AM for secondary schools
across the State.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 creates a new subdivision 60 of Section 305 of the Education
Law that requires the Commissioner of Education to promulgate rules and
regulations requiring public elementary schools to start no earlier than
8:00AM and public secondary schools start no earlier than 8:30AM.

Section 2 creates a new subdivision 8-a of Section 3604 of the Education
Law that requires trustees or boards of education to provide a report
for the preceding school year demonstrating that public elementary
schools started no earlier than 8:00AM and public secondary schools
started no earlier than 8:30AM as a condition for apportionment of
school funds.

Section 3 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Analysis by the New York State School Boards Association found that
two-thirds of high schools start the school day before 8AM. According to
the Centers for Disease Control, early school start times can pose
health risks to adolescents, including being overweight, drinking alco-
hol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs. Studies have also shown that the
academic performance of sleep-deprived students suffers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high
schools start no earlier than 8:30AM to ensure that students aged 13 to
18 are receiving the 8 to 10 hours of sleep recommended by doctors.
California enacted legislation in 2019 to mandate high school start
times no earlier than 8:30AM; and several states are currently studying
the effects of beginning school later. This legislation would add New
York to the list of states taking action to prevent adolescent health
issues caused by lack of sleep.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: 55449 - Referred to Education/A.440 - Referred to Education

2021-2022: 5.1466 - Referred to Education/A.8202 - Referred to Education

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all academic
years, beginning on and after such date.

2025-S2631A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2631--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Education  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law, in relation to requiring public
   elementary schools to start no earlier  than  eight  a.m.  and  public
   secondary schools to start no earlier than eight thirty a.m.
 
   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 63 to read as follows:
   63. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS  REQUIRING
 ALL  PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITHIN THE STATE TO START NO EARLIER THAN
 EIGHT A.M. AND ALL PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITHIN THE STATE TO START NO
 EARLIER THAN EIGHT THIRTY A.M.
   § 2. Section 3604 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 8-a to read as follows:
   8-A.   A.  NO PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITHIN THE STATE SHALL BE ENTI-
 TLED TO ANY PORTION OF SUCH SCHOOL MONEYS ON SUCH  APPORTIONMENT  UNLESS
 THE  REPORT  OF  THE  TRUSTEES  OR  BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE PRECEDING
 SCHOOL YEAR SHALL SHOW THAT SUCH PUBLIC  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL  STARTED  NO
 EARLIER THAN EIGHT A.M.
   B.  NO  PUBLIC  HIGH  SCHOOL WITHIN THE STATE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO ANY
 PORTION OF SUCH SCHOOL MONEYS ON SUCH APPORTIONMENT UNLESS THE REPORT OF
 THE TRUSTEES OR BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE PRECEDING SCHOOL  YEAR  SHALL
 SHOW  THAT  SUCH  PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS STARTED NO EARLIER THAN EIGHT
 THIRTY A.M.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  apply  to  all
 academic years beginning on and after such date.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06985-02-5

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Senate Bill S2631

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Sponsored By

Robert Jackson

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Bill Amendments

2025-S2631 - Details

2025-S2631 - Summary

2025-S2631 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S2631 - Bill Text download pdf

2025-S2631A (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S2631A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S2631A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S2631A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments