Bill Text: NY A02659 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the New York state school transition reopening and redesign task force; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to education [A02659 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A02659-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2659 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 19, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. FALL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT establishing a New York state school transition reopening and redesign task force during a national or state pandemic or state of emergency; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. New York state school transition reopening and redesign 2 taskforce. The New York state school transition reopening and redesign 3 taskforce is hereby established to study and make recommendations 4 concerning the reopening of New York schools during the novel coronavi- 5 rus (COVID-19) state disaster emergency, as declared pursuant to execu- 6 tive order number 202 of 2020. 7 § 2. Such task force shall be comprised of school administrators, 8 teachers and agency commissioners or deputy commissioners and consist of 9 twelve members appointed as follows: 10 (a) two members shall be appointed by the governor; one of these 11 members shall serve as chair of the task force; and the other member 12 shall serve as vice chair of the task force; 13 (b) one member shall be appointed by the temporary president of the 14 senate; 15 (c) one member shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; 16 (d) two members shall be appointed by the New York State Board of 17 Regents; 18 (e) two members shall be appointed by the Commissioner of the New York 19 State Education Department; 20 (f) two members shall be appointed by the Commissioner of the New York 21 State Department of Health; 22 (g) one member shall be appointed by the Commissioner of the New York 23 State Office of Mental Health; and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06204-01-1A. 2659 2 1 (h) one member shall be appointed by the Commissioner of the Depart- 2 ment of Taxation and Finance. 3 § 3. All appointments shall be made no later than the thirtieth day 4 after the effective date of this section. Vacancies in the membership of 5 the task force shall be filled in the same manner provided for by the 6 original appointments. The task force shall organize as soon as practi- 7 cable following the appointment of its members. The chair shall appoint 8 a secretary who shall not be a member of the task force. The members of 9 the task force shall receive no compensation for their services. 10 § 4. (a) The task force shall study, evaluate and develop recommenda- 11 tions relating to specific actionable measures that address the follow- 12 ing areas: 13 (i) the measures necessary to successfully implement a safe return to 14 school for students, faculty and administration in accordance with 15 guidelines promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control; 16 (ii) safe transportation of students to and from school; 17 (iii) the emotional and social components of education provided at a 18 school's physical facility, through remote learning or a combination of 19 both; 20 (iv) the impact of state and federal funding on school resources; 21 (v) the impact on a school district's ability to provide students with 22 meals at a school's physical facility or during remote learning; and 23 (vi) any other issue the task force deems relevant. 24 (b) The task force shall designate four regional committees to operate 25 throughout the state. One such committee shall be located in and focus 26 on the city of New York. Each committee shall consist of six members 27 selected by the task force chair from local school administrators, 28 teachers, certified school social workers and PTA presidents. 29 § 5. The task force shall be entitled to request and receive, and 30 shall utilize such facilities, resources and data of any court, depart- 31 ment, division, board, bureau, commission or agency of the state or any 32 political subdivision thereof as it may reasonably request to properly 33 carry out its powers and duties. 34 § 6. In carrying out its functions, the task force is authorized to 35 conduct public hearings around the state to foster discussions in 36 accordance with article seven of the public officers law, and formal 37 public hearings to solicit input and recommendations from statewide and 38 regional stakeholder interests. 39 § 7. The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to 40 the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the 41 assembly, the temporary president of the senate and the minority leader 42 of the senate three months after the effective date of this act. 43 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 44 deemed repealed sixty days after the task force delivers the report 45 described in section seven of this act to the governor, the speaker of 46 the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly, the temporary presi- 47 dent of the senate and the minority leader of the senate.
