S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5569
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  FAHY  --  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 establishing a  center
   for dyslexia and dysgraphia
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to
 read as follows:
   § 319. CENTER FOR DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA. 1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION,
 UNLESS ANOTHER MEANING CLEARLY APPEARS FROM THE CONTEXT:
   A. "CENTER" SHALL MEAN THE CENTER FOR DYSLEXIA AND  DYSGRAPHIA  ESTAB-
 LISHED UNDER THIS SECTION.
   B. "DIRECTOR" SHALL MEAN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER.
   C.  "GUIDEBOOK" SHALL MEAN THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDEBOOK ON DYSLEXIA AND
 DYSGRAPHIA CREATED BY THE CENTER UNDER PARAGRAPH H OF SUBDIVISION  THREE
 OF THIS SECTION.
   D.  "LOCAL  EDUCATION AGENCIES" SHALL MEAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BOARDS OF
 COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROVID-
 ERS DESIGNATED AS SUCH BY THE DIRECTOR.
   2. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT  THE  CENTER  FOR
 DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA. THE CENTER SHALL BE LED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIREC-
 TOR OF THE CENTER WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   3. THE CENTER'S DUTIES SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   A.  ESTABLISHING  A DEFINITION OF DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA IN CONSULTA-
 TION WITH NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA ADVOCACY GROUPS,
 PHYSICIANS AND SCIENTISTS WHO SPECIALIZE IN DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA, AND
 EDUCATORS WHO SPECIALIZE IN REMEDIATING DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA.
   B. COLLECTING DATA TO INVENTORY, SYNTHESIZE, AND PUBLICIZE BEST  PRAC-
 TICES  FOR SERVING STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA, DYSGRAPHIA, AND OTHER RELATED
 READING OR WRITING DIFFICULTIES.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04476-02-5
 S. 5569                             2
              

 
   C. DEVELOPING AND DISSEMINATING OF INFORMATIONAL TOOLS AND  BRIEFS  ON
 DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA.
   D.  SETTING  EXPLICIT  STANDARDS  AND  REQUIREMENTS  FOR PEER-REVIEWED
 EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHER  PREPARATION  PROGRAMS  AND  CERTIFICATIONS  THAT
 ADDRESS DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA.
   E.  SETTING EXPLICIT STANDARDS FOR ANNUAL PEER-REVIEWED EVIDENCE-BASED
 UNIVERSAL SCREENING FOR ALL  STUDENTS  IN  GRADES  KINDERGARTEN  THROUGH
 FIFTH AND NEW ENTRANTS TO SCHOOLS WITHIN THE STATE FOR READING AND WRIT-
 ING  DIFFICULTIES  AND  FOR SCREENING STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS AT RISK FOR
 DYSLEXIA AND/OR DYSGRAPHIA.
   F. SETTING EXPLICIT STANDARDS FOR PEER-REVIEWED EVIDENCE-BASED  DYSLE-
 XIA  AND DYSGRAPHIA INTERVENTIONS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTS FOR USE
 BY LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES.
   G. ISSUING A PUBLIC REPORT ON THE  STATE'S  PROGRESS  ON  IMPLEMENTING
 POLICIES  AND  PRACTICES  REGARDING  DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA SCREENINGS,
 INTERVENTIONS, AND SUPPORTS WITHIN TWO YEARS FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE  OF
 THIS SECTION AND EVERY TWO YEARS THEREAFTER.
   H.  CREATING  A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDEBOOK ON DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA FOR
 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROVIDERS, LEADERS OF LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES,
 SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, EDUCATORS, AND SPECIALISTS.
   I. PERFORM ANY OTHER DUTIES THE COMMISSIONER  OR  THE  DIRECTOR  DEEMS
 NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS AS AT RISK FOR DYSLEXIA AND/OR DYSGRAPHIA
 OR  TO  REDUCE  BARRIERS  TO  EDUCATION  FOR  THOSE WITH DYSLEXIA AND/OR
 DYSGRAPHIA.
   4. THE GUIDEBOOK SHALL BE CREATED WITHIN TWO YEARS  OF  THE  EFFECTIVE
 DATE OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL BE UPDATED AT LEAST EVERY FIVE YEARS. THE
 CENTER SHALL RELEASE A DRAFT VERSION OF THE GUIDEBOOK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
 SIXTY  DAYS  PRIOR  TO ITS PUBLICATION. THE GUIDEBOOK SHALL INCLUDE, BUT
 NOT BE LIMITED TO, INFORMATION RELATED TO:
   A. DEFINITIONS REGARDING DYSLEXIA AND DYSGRAPHIA.
   B. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES  AND  SCHOOL
 TO  ADDRESS  THE  NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITH DIAGNOSED OR SUSPECTED DYSLEXIA
 AND/OR DYSGRAPHIA.
   C. UNIVERSAL SCREENING POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND EVIDENCE-BASED  PRAC-
 TICES.
   D.   DYSLEXIA  AND  DYSGRAPHIA  SCREENING  POLICIES,  PROCEDURES,  AND
 EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES.
   E. SCREENING MODIFICATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE  LEAR-
 NERS  AND  MULTILINGUAL  LEARNERS  AND  STUDENTS  WITH DISABILITIES THAT
 IMPACT ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND/OR GRAPHOMOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT.
   F. APPROPRIATE USE OF DATA TO GUIDE PRACTICES AND PROTOCOLS FOR  LOCAL
 EDUCATION AGENCIES.
   G.  REGULATIONS,  GUIDANCE,  AND SUPPORT FOR COMMUNICATING AND MEETING
 WITH PARENTS OR  GUARDIANS  TO  SHARE  AND  DISCUSS  SCREENING  RESULTS,
 OPTIONS  FOR  NEXT  STEPS,  AND MAKING DATA-BASED DECISIONS ABOUT INTER-
 VENTIONS ALIGNED WITH IDENTIFIED READING AND/OR WRITING DIFFICULTIES.
   H. CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTIONS GROUNDED IN THE SCIENCE  OF
 READING AND STRUCTURED LITERACY.
   I.  DEVELOPMENT  OF  EFFECTIVE  INDIVIDUALIZED  EDUCATION PLANS GOALS,
 PROGRESS MONITORING, AND ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH  DIAGNOSED  OR
 SUSPECTED  DYSLEXIA AND/OR DYSGRAPHIA AND RELATED READING AND/OR WRITING
 DIFFICULTIES.
   J. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
   K. DECISION  CRITERIA  AND  STEPS  FROM  UNIVERSAL  SCREENING  THROUGH
 SUPPORTS AND PROGRESS MONITORING.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.