This bill (S 636) adds a sales tax exemption for school buses and their operational items, directly affecting school districts and bus operators. It removes sales tax on school buses (as defined in vehicle law), plus parts, equipment, lubricants, and fuel used to operate them. The exemption takes effect on April 1, 2026, and requires tax law updates to implement. School districts will save on these purchases starting in 2026.
This bill prohibits the sale of tobacco and vapor products within 500 feet of any public or private school property. It directly affects retailers selling these products near schools and aims to protect students by restricting access near school grounds. The law defines the 500-foot limit as a straight-line measurement from the school’s property boundary to the business’s property boundary. Violations are enforced under existing health law procedures, allowing anyone to report noncompliance to authorities.
This bill creates a new internal registry for active investigations into specific moral character complaints against New York teachers or applicants. It only includes cases involving boundary violations between teachers and students, sex-related offenses, or sexual complaints, as determined by the commissioner. School districts seeking to hire an applicant are notified if they're on the registry, but the registry's details remain confidential except to school administrators. Teachers added to the registry can appeal within 30 days, and investigations must be prioritized for completion. The bill does not change existing moral character standards but standardizes how such complaints are tracked and communicated.
Directs the department of education to issue guidance for schools to offer take-home meals in the event of a disruption in food assistance programs or other circumstances identified by the department as creating a risk of food insecurity among students.
Requires school districts to conduct mandatory early screening for dyslexia for all children commencing in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten and continuing thereafter on an annual basis until each child successfully completes second grade; requires school districts to designate an individual to maintain complete and accurate records containing early screening reports for each child, and to provide resources and materials to the parent and/or guardian of any child who displays indications of dyslexia.
This bill allows students in New York State schools to earn physical education credits by completing state-approved lifeguard certification training courses. It requires the Board of Regents to create rules enabling these courses to count toward the mandatory physical education requirements. The policy directly affects high school students who complete approved lifeguard training programs, potentially reducing the need for separate physical education classes. The change applies only to courses meeting state standards for lifeguard certification, not general physical education instruction.
This bill requires all public school districts to implement mandatory dyslexia screening for students starting in kindergarten, with annual screenings until the end of second grade. The screening must be evidence-based, low-cost, and efficient. Schools must provide small-group, multi-sensory phonics instruction as intervention services for students identified with dyslexia or related learning differences. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill establishes a scholarship program for New York State residents pursuing master's degrees in education. It directly affects students enrolled full-time in approved New York state education programs who earned their undergraduate degree in New York, maintained residency during that time, and commit to teaching full-time in New York public schools for five years. The program prioritizes applicants attending public colleges (as defined by law), with remaining scholarships available for private college students meeting the same eligibility criteria. Key requirements include academic excellence during undergraduate studies and signing a teaching commitment contract with the state. The scholarship covers costs for qualifying education degree programs leading to teaching careers in New York's public elementary or secondary schools.
Senate Resolution 1236 amends a funding plan to add new recipients and adjust allocations for educational and arts grants. It directly affects school districts, public libraries, colleges, and nonprofit organizations by adding specific grantees like the Center for Educational Innovation ($80,000) and Fencing in the Park ($50,000) to the approved list. Key provisions require all funds to be allocated only after a senate-approved plan (listing grantees or allocation method) is included in a resolution passed by a majority vote. The resolution also allows reassigning funds between agencies like SUNY or the New York State Council on the Arts with senate and budget director approval. This updates the 2024-25 funding schedule without creating new policy.
Enacts "new deal for SUNY: the New York state higher education equality act" to provide free tuition to students who attend SUNY who are enrolled in academic coursework and are on track to graduate; establishes the state university tuition fund to reimburse the state university of New York for the cost of tuition for students who are eligible for free tuition.
