NY State Senate Bill

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 21, 2025	referred to codes

co-Sponsors

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2494
Current Committee:: Senate Codes
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §844, Exec L; add §2801-c, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S7237, A8264

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the school safety specialist act; establishes a certification and training program for school safety specialists; outlines the roles and duties of school safety specialists.

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5378

SPONSOR: ASHBY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law and the education law, in relation to
establishing the school safety specialist act

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would direct the Division of Criminal Justice. Services to
create a new certification program for School Safety Specialists, and
allow school districts the ability to hire them.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one names the act "School Safety Specialist Act".

Section two amends the executive law to direct the Division of Criminal
Justice Services (DCJS) to create a new certification program for School
Safety Specialists. DCJS is tasked with developing the certification
program and its content and methodology, as well as the creation of the

application and certification process and the maintenance and adminis-
tration of such program.

The topics of said training shall include but not be limited to: how to
prevent, prepare and respond to school safety incidents; how to create a
school culture of safety; emergency preparedness planning; school threat
assessment; situational awareness; strategic crisis leadership and risk
communication; school-based mental health mediation; drug prevention and
awareness; cyberbullying; predatory sexual behavior; substance use;
violence; suicide prevention and mediation; and gang resistance.

Section 3 allows any public or nonpublic school to employ a school safe-
ty specialist for the purpose of providing improved public safety and
security on school grounds. A school district may employ as many as
deemed necessary.

A school safety specialist may: propose and enforce policies and admin-
istrative actions related to school safety; utilize any technology to
implement safety; serve as a liaison with other school officials and
community agencies, including but not limited to, other law enforcement
agencies, courts, health care entities, and mental health entities;
develop and execute strategies for prevention, response and recovery
efforts for incidents/and or emergency situations occurring on school
grounds and/or involving students, faculty, administration or visitors
to the school; assist in school emergency drills and create new school
safety plans; and provide educational and mentoring services to
students.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

School safety remains a paramount concern for students, parents, teach-
ers, administrators and staff. As changes in technology accelerate and
shift the challenges facing our children, our approach to school safety
must be professional, comprehensive and ever-evolving.

Allowing administrators to hire a dedicated School Safety Specialist
means that the security of our campuses and the well-being of our kids
won't fall through the bureaucratic cracks. Requiring these profes-
sionals to be certified by DCJS will promote competency, ensure account-
ability and create exacting standards commensurate with the importance
of the job.

From educating kids about online safety to developing and implementing
emergency response drills and plans, School Safety Specialists will
enhance student life and, if called upon, save students' lives.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24- S.7237, referred to Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 120th day after it shall have become a
law; however effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal
of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act
are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective
date.

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5378
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. ASHBY, BORRELLO, OBERACKER -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
 
 AN  ACT to amend the executive law and the education law, in relation to
   establishing the school safety specialist act
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  This  act  shall be known and may be cited as the "school
 safety specialist act".
   § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to  read
 as follows:
   § 844. SCHOOL SAFETY SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. 1. THE DIVISION
 SHALL  ESTABLISH  AND MAINTAIN A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL SAFETY
 SPECIALISTS, INCLUDING:
   (A) DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH PROGRAM AND ITS CONTENT AND METHODOLOGY;
   (B) CREATION OF THE APPLICATION AND CERTIFICATION PROCESS; AND
   (C) MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH PROGRAM.
   2. TOPICS OF TRAINING FOR SCHOOL SAFETY SPECIALISTS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT
 NOT BE LIMITED TO: HOW TO PREVENT, PREPARE, AND RESPOND TO SCHOOL SAFETY
 INCIDENTS; HOW TO CREATE A CULTURE OF SCHOOL SAFETY; EMERGENCY PREPARED-
 NESS PLANNING; SCHOOL THREAT ASSESSMENT; SITUATIONAL AWARENESS;  STRATE-
 GIC CRISIS LEADERSHIP AND RISK COMMUNICATION; SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH
 MEDIATION; DRUG PREVENTION AND AWARENESS; CYBERBULLYING; PREDATORY SEXU-
 AL  BEHAVIOR; SUBSTANCE USE; VIOLENCE; SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MEDIATION;
 AND GANG RESISTANCE.
   § 3. The education law is amended by adding a new  section  2801-c  to
 read as follows:
   §  2801-C. SCHOOL SAFETY SPECIALIST. 1. ANY PUBLIC OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL
 MAY EMPLOY A SCHOOL SAFETY  SPECIALIST  CERTIFIED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
 EIGHT  HUNDRED  FORTY-FOUR  OF  THE  EXECUTIVE  LAW,  FOR THE PURPOSE OF
 PROVIDING IMPROVED PUBLIC SAFETY  AND  SECURITY  ON  SCHOOL  GROUNDS.  A
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06167-01-5
 S. 5378                             2

 
 SCHOOL  DISTRICT  SHALL  BE  AUTHORIZED  TO EMPLOY AS MANY SCHOOL SAFETY
 SPECIALISTS AS SUCH DISTRICT DEEMS NECESSARY.
   2. SCHOOL SAFETY SPECIALISTS, IN EXECUTING THEIR ROLE, MAY ALSO:
   A.  PROPOSE AND ENFORCE POLICIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS RELATED TO
 SCHOOL SAFETY;
   B. UTILIZE ANY TECHNOLOGY TO IMPLEMENT SAFETY;
   C. SERVE AS A LIAISON WITH OTHER SCHOOL OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY  AGEN-
 CIES,  INCLUDING,  BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, COURTS,
 HEALTH CARE ENTITIES, AND MENTAL HEALTH ENTITIES;
   D. DEVELOP AND EXECUTE STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTION, RESPONSE, AND RECOV-
 ERY EFFORTS FOR  INCIDENTS  AND/OR  EMERGENCY  SITUATIONS  OCCURRING  ON
 SCHOOL  GROUNDS INVOLVING STUDENTS, FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION, OR VISITORS
 TO SUCH SCHOOL;
   E. ASSIST IN SCHOOL EMERGENCY DRILLS AND CREATING  NEW  SCHOOL  SAFETY
 PLANS; AND
   F. PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND MENTORING SERVICES TO STUDENTS.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S5378

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S5378

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Jacob Ashby

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

co-Sponsors

George M. Borrello

Peter Oberacker

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S5378 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments