SEN. FARLEY REPORTS SENATE PASSES BILLS TO REFORM BOARD OF REGENTS’ SELECTION AND INCREASE TRANSPARENCY OF EDUCATION POLICY ACTIONS

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York Senate passed legislation that reforms the selection process for the Board of Regents and increases transparency to help parents and educators have more access to proceedings that help set state education policy.

Bill S6854 establishes a more equitable and balanced appointment process for the selection of Regents that would require input from both houses of the Legislature. The Board of Regents is made up of seventeen members who are charged with setting state education policy for students and education professionals. The existing selection of Regents requires confirmation by a majority vote of all 213 members of the Legislature, giving the Assembly’s Democrat majority virtual control over the selection of Regents. This bill changes the selection process to help better reflect the population of the entire state. It would require a concurrent resolution from both houses of the Legislature to select the Regents, ensuring the Senate and the Assembly have an equal say in electing members to the board.

Bill S224 requires more information about any Board of Regents resolutions that alter or amend the rules or regulations. Details would need to be provided about: those entities that are expected to be affected by increase in costs proposed; source of income to pay for increases, whether it be from the general fund or other funds; type of tax increase necessary to fund proposal; if a tax increase is to come from local property taxes, list expected increase by school district; and if a combination of funds are to be used, information regarding costs shall be provided by the Regents.

Bill S1796B requires that each meeting of the Board of Regents be streamed live and made available to the public. Currently, the Board only webcasts a small portion of its monthly meetings. This bill would give parents and educators the ability to stay informed of the Board's decisions; and Bill S6503 requires the Board of Regents to give notice of their agenda several days before a scheduled meeting to allow the stakeholders on several educational issues the appropriate time to respond and discuss the issues. This would encourage more involvement from the public and would foster an improved dialogue between both the Board of Regents and other stakeholders in education.

The bills will be sent to the Assembly.