Includes policies and procedures for responding to students having mental health crises in a manner that does not include contacting law enforcement unless implied or direct threats of violence or other criminal activity is involved in school safety plans.
Creates substance use prevention and recovery resource materials which include age-appropriate information on the risks of drug use, overdoses, fentanyl, including its high potency, the severe risks associated with its use, the prevalence of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, and the concept of fentanyl poisoning, and how to include resources from outside of the school district to improve instruction.
Requires the commissioner of education, in consultation with the commissioner of health, to develop a bleeding control kit program which requires bleeding control kits to be installed in easily accessible areas of schools; requires training of personnel to use bleeding control kits in the event of an injury to another person.
S 241 excludes costs for school resource officers (SROs) employed by a municipality but assigned to a school district from tax levy limits that restrict annual tax increases. This means school districts can cover these security personnel expenses without triggering the usual requirement for voter approval to raise taxes above the limit. The exemption applies only when the district complies with specific requirements under real property tax law. The bill directly affects school districts and municipalities managing school security funding.
Directs the commissioner of education, in conjunction with the superintendent of state police and the commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency services, to establish standards for the security and safety of school grounds.
Requires age-appropriate instruction on conflict resolution for elementary, middle, and high school students; requires the commissioner to develop curricula for schools in the state for such instruction; directs the commissioner to develop resource materials to facilitate such instruction.
Provides an annual tax levy limit allowing for expenditures directly or indirectly related to school safety, including improving district wide emergency response plans, training staff and/or students on school safety and/or conflict mediation, installing and maintaining safety technology and software in school buildings, hiring school resource officers, acquiring emergency medical equipment, installing fencing around the perimeter of school grounds, installing bulletproof doors and windows, acquiring and maintaining technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency.
This bill creates a special "guardians for schools" license plate for New York residents, who pay a $25 annual fee on top of regular registration. The fee funds the "guardians for schools fund," which must be used exclusively for school security improvements like security officers, metal detectors, and safety training. The fund is managed by state officials and cannot be diverted to general state spending. It takes effect 180 days after enactment, with initial plate production costs offset from the fund after one year.
Grants school districts the ability to implement telehealth school-based mental health clinics; establishes the student mental telehealth reimbursement fund; relates to funding the student mental telehealth reimbursement fund.
This bill requires all schools to create and enforce anti-harassment policies with specific provisions. It mandates schools to provide safety transfers for students who experience harassment, apply disciplinary measures for harassers, and post policies in the ten most common languages spoken in the district. Schools must train staff and students on preventing harassment, and principals must ensure policies are distributed to all staff, students, and parents. The bill also creates annual public reporting requirements, including yearly statistics on harassment incidents and safety transfers, published on the education department’s website.
