NY State Senate Bill 2025-S5064

Senate Bill S5064

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to establishing a commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners in New York

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 18, 2025	referred to education

2025-S5064 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S8437

2025-S5064 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to establishing a commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners in New York; provides such commission shall report on the best practices and legislative recommendations to close the achievement gap and high school graduation rates between multilingual learners and their English proficient peers from prekindergarten through twelfth grade.

2025-S5064 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5064

SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to establish a commission for the educational advancement of
multilingual learners in New York; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this legislation is to establish a commission for the
educational advancement of multilingual learners.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 establishes the commission for the educational advancement of
multilingual learners. This commission will provide a report on the best
practices and legislative recommendations to close the achievement gap
and high school graduation rates between multilingual learners and their
English-proficient peers. This section also lays out the composition of
the commission.

Section 2 states that all appointment nominations shall be submitted to
the board of regents, and the board of regents shall make such appoint-
ments no later than 30 days after this act is enacted.

Section 3 directs the commissioner of education to designate one or more
representatives of the department of education to serve as a liaison
between the department and commission. Additionally, all state agen-
cies, public authorities, public benefit corporations, and any public
school district shall assist as requested by the chair.

Section 4 authorizes the commission to undertake any study, survey, or
analysis it may deem relevant to the report. The commission shall have
all the powers of a legislative committee pursuant to the legislative
law.

Section Five states the commission shall make a report of its findings,
including any recommendations for legislative action. This report shall
be delivered to the Governor, temporary President of the Senate, the
Speaker of the Assembly,. Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Educa-
tion, the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on New York City Educa-
tion, the Chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Education, the board
of regents, and the Commissioner of Education no later than December 31,
2025.

Section 6 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Multilingual students are often at a disadvantage in school, sometimes
falling behind and scoring lower on assessments compared to their Engl-
ish-proficient peers. Research on these disadvantages show the growing
gap in educational achievement between multilingual and English-profi-
cient students, with little to no support for our multilingual students.
This legislation seeks to establish a new commission to identify the
best practices and any legislative recommendations that will address the
growing educational achievement gap between multilingual students and
English-proficient students.  While the number of multilingual students
is increasing, New York has failed to provide these students with the
tools and resources to achieve the educational success their English-
proficient counterparts experience. This commission is the first step in
bridging the gap and making our schools are more equitable environment
for our students.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.8437-A of 2023-2024: Amended and Recommitted to Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed two years after such date.

2025-S5064 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5064
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  establish  a  commission for the educational advancement of
   multilingual learners in New York; and providing  for  the  repeal  of
   such provisions upon expiration thereof

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Commission established. (a) A commission, to  be  known  as
 the commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners,
 hereafter  referred  to  as  "the  commission", is hereby established to
 study and provide a report on the best practices and legislative  recom-
 mendations to close the achievement gap and high school graduation rates
 between  multilingual  learners  and their English proficient peers from
 prekindergarten through twelfth  grade.  Such  report  will  advise  the
 legislature,  the  governor,  the  board  of regents, and New York state
 education officials on the best practices  and  legislative  recommenda-
 tions  to  close  the  achievement  gap, and the feasibility and cost to
 implement such practices in schools.
   (b) The commission shall be composed of  nine  members,  appointed  as
 follows:  (i)  two  members shall be appointed by the governor; (ii) two
 members shall be appointed by the speaker of  the  assembly;  (iii)  two
 members  shall  be  appointed  by the temporary president of the senate;
 (iv) two members shall be appointed by the commissioner of the New  York
 state  department of education; and (v) one member shall be the chancel-
 lor of the board of regents or appointed thereof. The  commission  shall
 be chaired by a person chosen by a majority vote at the first meeting of
 the   commission.  The  vice-chairperson  of  the  commission  shall  be
 appointed by the chairperson. Vacancies in the membership of the commis-
 sion shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments.
   (c) The commission shall be made up of at least:   (i)  one  education
 professional  who  specializes in English to Speakers of Other Languages
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06115-01-5

 S. 5064                             2
 
 and Bilingual Programs; (ii) one teacher who has experience working with
 multilingual students; (iii) one education professional who has  experi-
 ence working with early childhood multilingual learners; (iv) one educa-
 tion  professional  who  has  experience with multilingual newcomers and
 high school graduation; and  (v)  one  education  professional  who  has
 expertise in education equity of New York state students.
   (d)  The  members  of the commission shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
   (e) The commission shall commence no later than 30 days after this act
 shall become a law.
   § 2. Appointments to commission. The legislative leaders,  the  gover-
 nor,  the  chancellor  of  the board of regents, and the commissioner of
 education shall submit their appointments to the board of  regents,  and
 the board of regents shall make such appointments, no later than 30 days
 after this act shall become a law.
   §  3.  Commission  staff  and  agency liaison. (a) The commissioner of
 education shall designate such employees of the department of  education
 as  are  reasonably necessary to provide support services to the commis-
 sion. The commissioner of education shall appoint one or more  represen-
 tatives  of the department of education to serve as liaison between such
 department and the commission.
   (b) All state agencies,  public  authorities,  public  benefit  corpo-
 rations  and  any public school district in New York state shall provide
 such assistance as may be reasonably  requested  by  the  chair  of  the
 commission.
   (c)  The commission, acting by the chair of the commission, may employ
 additional staff and consultants, who shall be paid from amounts  avail-
 able to the commission for such purposes.
   § 4. Accomplishment of purpose. The commission shall be authorized and
 empowered  to  undertake  any studies, inquiries, surveys or analyses it
 may deem relevant. The commission shall meet and hold public hearings or
 private meetings within or outside the state, and  shall  have  all  the
 powers of a legislative committee pursuant to the legislative law.
   §  5.  Report  on  best practices and legislative recommendations. The
 commission shall make a report of its findings, including any  recommen-
 dations for legislative action as it may deem necessary and appropriate,
 to  the  governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of
 the assembly, the chairperson of the senate committee on education,  the
 chairperson  of  the  senate  committee  on New York City education, the
 chairperson of  the  assembly  committee  on  education,  the  board  of
 regents,  and  the  commissioner of education no later than December 31,
 2025.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed 2 years after such date.

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