Bill Text: NY S08437 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Bill 8437

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Relates to establishing a commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners in New York; provides such commission shall report on the best practices and legislative recommendations to close the achievement gap and high school graduation rates between multilingual learners and their English proficient peers from prekindergarten through twelfth grade.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-31 - PRINT NUMBER 8437A [S08437 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S08437-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8437

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 30, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  CHU  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

        AN ACT to establish a commission  for  the  educational  advancement  of
          multilingual  learners  in  New  York; and providing for the repeal of
          such provisions upon expiration thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Commission  established. (a) A commission, to be known as
     2  the commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners,
     3  hereafter referred to as "the  commission",  is  hereby  established  to
     4  study  and provide a report on the best practices and legislative recom-
     5  mendations to close the achievement gap and high school graduation rates
     6  between multilingual learners and their English  proficient  peers  from
     7  prekindergarten  through  twelfth  grade.  Such  report  will advise the
     8  legislature, the governor, the board of  regents,  and  New  York  state
     9  education  officials  on  the best practices and legislative recommenda-
    10  tions to close the achievement gap, and  the  feasibility  and  cost  to
    11  implement such practices in schools.
    12    (b)  The  commission  shall  be composed of nine members, appointed as
    13  follows: (i) two members shall be appointed by the  governor;  (ii)  two
    14  members  shall  be  appointed  by the speaker of the assembly; (iii) two
    15  members shall be appointed by the temporary  president  of  the  senate;
    16  (iv)  two members shall be appointed by the commissioner of the New York
    17  state department of education; and (v) one member shall be the  chancel-
    18  lor  of  the board of regents or appointed thereof. The commission shall
    19  be chaired by a person chosen by a majority vote at the first meeting of
    20  the  commission.  The  vice-chairperson  of  the  commission  shall   be
    21  appointed by the chairperson. Vacancies in the membership of the commis-
    22  sion shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments.
    23    (c)  The  commission  shall be made up of at least:  (i) one education
    24  professional who specializes in English to Speakers of  Other  Languages
    25  and Bilingual Programs; (ii) one teacher who has experience working with
    26  multilingual  students; (iii) one education professional who has experi-
    27  ence working with early childhood multilingual learners; (iv) one educa-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07786-01-3

        S. 8437                             2

     1  tion professional who has experience  with  multilingual  newcomers  and
     2  high  school  graduation;  and  (v)  one  education professional who has
     3  expertise in education equity of New York state students.
     4    (d)  The  members  of the commission shall receive no compensation for
     5  their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
     6  incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
     7    (e) The commission shall commence no later than 30 days after this act
     8  shall become a law.
     9    § 2. Appointments to commission. The legislative leaders,  the  gover-
    10  nor,  the  chancellor  of  the board of regents, and the commissioner of
    11  education shall submit their appointments to the board of  regents,  and
    12  the board of regents shall make such appointments, no later than 30 days
    13  after this act shall become a law.
    14    §  3.  Commission  staff  and  agency liaison. (a) The commissioner of
    15  education shall designate such employees of the department of  education
    16  as  are  reasonably necessary to provide support services to the commis-
    17  sion. The commissioner of education shall appoint one or more  represen-
    18  tatives  of the department of education to serve as liaison between such
    19  department and the commission.
    20    (b) All state agencies,  public  authorities,  public  benefit  corpo-
    21  rations  and  any public school district in New York state shall provide
    22  such assistance as may be reasonably  requested  by  the  chair  of  the
    23  commission.
    24    (c)  The commission, acting by the chair of the commission, may employ
    25  additional staff and consultants, who shall be paid from amounts  avail-
    26  able to the commission for such purposes.
    27    § 4. Accomplishment of purpose. The commission shall be authorized and
    28  empowered  to  undertake  any studies, inquiries, surveys or analyses it
    29  may deem relevant. The commission shall meet and hold public hearings or
    30  private meetings within or outside the state, and  shall  have  all  the
    31  powers of a legislative committee pursuant to the legislative law.
    32    §  5.  Report  on  best practices and legislative recommendations. The
    33  commission shall make a report of its findings, including any  recommen-
    34  dations for legislative action as it may deem necessary and appropriate,
    35  to  the  governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of
    36  the assembly, the chairperson of the senate committee on education,  the
    37  chairperson  of  the  senate  committee  on New York City education, the
    38  chairperson of  the  assembly  committee  on  education,  the  board  of
    39  regents,  and  the  commissioner of education no later than December 31,
    40  2023.
    41    § 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    42  deemed repealed 2 years after such date.