Education

Enacts the "student safety, parent notification, and transparency act" in relation to parent notification, documentation, review, and reporting required when physical restraint or force is used on a student.

Expands eligibility for the tuition assistance program by restoring eligibility to graduate students; makes optional semesters, quarters or terms eligible for awards.

This bill prohibits schools in the state from using timeout boxes, closets, or any other secluded physical enclosures to isolate children. It applies to all schools covered under the law, including public schools, charter schools, special education programs, and certain private schools. The law specifically bans physical isolation methods like padded rooms or structures designed to confine students alone. This is a direct policy change that eliminates a specific restraint practice in educational settings.

This resolution memorializes Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim January 2026 as Mentoring Month in New York State, aligning with National Mentoring Month. It does not create new laws but requests the Governor issue a ceremonial proclamation to raise awareness about mentoring's role in supporting youth development. The resolution cites statistics showing mentoring improves college enrollment, leadership opportunities, and community engagement for at-risk youth and first-generation students. It directly affects New York residents by encouraging statewide recognition of mentoring programs, though the Governor's proclamation itself would have no legal effect.

This bill establishes school-based food pantries in New York City schools to provide free, nutritious food to students and their families outside of regular meal times. It requires the school chancellor to prioritize high-need schools when implementing the program and mandates that these pantries operate on school premises during designated times without disrupting instructional activities. The legislation encourages partnerships with local food organizations for technical assistance and food donations while requiring strict guidelines to ensure student dignity, food safety, and volunteer-led operations. Additionally, the bill mandates annual reporting to state and city officials on the number of participating schools and the families served.

This bill expands New York's veterans tuition awards program by allowing qualified veterans to transfer unused benefits to eligible family members, including spouses, children, or financially dependent survivors. It defines "eligible immediate family member" and sets key rules: transfers are one-time only, children receiving benefits must be under 26, and annual transfers are capped at 100. Veterans must formally designate beneficiaries through a prescribed process, and transfers cannot exceed the original award amount. The changes take effect in 2027, building on prior legislative proposals to enhance support for veterans' families.

Authorizes education-related dual employment for employees of certain schools offering special education services; prohibits certain anti-competitive actions that would impact such schools.

Enacts into law major components of legislation necessary to implement the state education, labor, housing and family assistance budget for the 2026-2027 state fiscal year; relates to contracts for excellence, foundation aid, the homeless and foster count, renewable energy projects, zero-emissions school buses and to apportioning aid for universal prekindergarten; relates to reimbursement for the 2026-2027 school year and the maximum contract hours, withholding a portion of employment preparation education aid, and the effectiveness thereof; relates to the use of apportionments for the EXCEL program and the effectiveness thereof; relates to maximum class sizes for special classes for certain students with disabilities; provides for special apportionment for salary expenses; provides for special apportionment for public pension accruals; amends provisions relating to the apportionment amount for the Roosevelt union free school district; provides for set-asides from the state funds which certain districts are receiving from the total foundation aid; provides for support of public libraries; repeals certain provisions relating to the statewide universal full-day prekindergarten program (Part A); relates to evidence-based instructional practices in the subject of mathematics for students in kindergarten through grade five (Part B); relates to the eligibility of students enrolled in an approved program leading to a degree in a high demand field for the New York opportunity promise scholarship (Part C); allows for the chancellor of SUNY and CUNY to impose differential tuition rates on non-resident undergraduate and graduate students until the 2028-2029 academic year (Part E); relates to early childhood educator eligibility for the masters-in-education teacher incentive scholarship program (Part F); changes the name of the "New York state musical instrument revolving fund" to the "New York state music grant fund"; includes musical education in school districts and boards of cooperative educational services within not-for-profit musical entities incorporated in the state and organized for the purpose of the presentation of performing arts for the benefit of the public (Part G); extends provisions of law relating to restructuring financing for residential school placements (Part K); increases the standards of monthly need for aged, blind and disabled persons living in the community (Part L); utilizes reserves in the mortgage insurance fund for the neighborhood preservation program, the rural preservation program, the rural rental assistance program, and the New York state supportive housing program, the solutions to end homelessness program or the operational support for AIDS housing program (Part M); increases the number of land banks which can simultaneously exist in the state of New York from 35 to 45 (Part N); authorizes a tax abatement for alterations and improvements to multiple dwellings for purposes of preserving habitability in affordable housing (Part O); relates to establishing the crime of aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant (Part P); renumbers the disparate impact standard for housing and employment in the human rights law (Part Q); defines eligible multiple dwelling under the affordable New York housing program; includes a multiple dwelling that is located on a parcel of land which was part of a tract of land for which a special permit for a large scale general development was approved via the uniform land use review procedure on or before June 15, 2022, and such tract contains a multiple dwelling for which the commencement date is after December 31, 2015 and on or before June 15, 2022 and complies with certain affordability options (Part R).

Relates to additional apportionment of building aid for certain projects; defines an eligible school construction project as one that is entirely funded from capital outlays and has a total project cost of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or less.

Prohibits children from being denied access to a free public education on account of perceived or actual citizenship or immigration status or the perceived or actual citizenship or immigration status of their parents or person in a parental relationship.