Bill Text: NY A06205 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for the establishment of a voluntary chaplaincy program for the public schools; applies to all school districts and supervisory districts; provides for chaplains to serve without compensation and for no fees to be charged by the districts; requires parental consent to refer a pupil under eighteen years of age; directs the commissioner of education to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-07-06 - enacting clause stricken [A06205 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A06205-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6205 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 4, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing for a volun- tary chaplaincy program for the public schools The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 1502-b 2 to read as follows: 3 § 1502-b. Voluntary chaplaincy program. 1. Every school district and 4 every supervisory district shall establish a voluntary chaplaincy 5 program to serve pupils and employees in accordance with the provisions 6 of this section. 7 2. Each district shall compile a list of experienced and reputable 8 non-sectarian chaplains who are willing to serve the district in a 9 chaplaincy capacity. Chaplains who have previously served a municipal, 10 state, or federal government agency or department, or who have served 11 the equivalent thereof, will be considered reputable. Chaplains shall 12 receive no compensation for their services. 13 3. The services of such chaplains shall be made available to pupils 14 eighteen years of age or older and to employees upon their request and 15 without charge. 16 4. (a) With respect to pupils under eighteen years of age, referrals 17 of a pupil to a chaplain shall not be made without the consent of the 18 pupil's parent or guardian. Referrals shall be made without any charge. 19 (b) In the event that pupils under eighteen raise questions of a reli- 20 gious nature, or generate other cause to believe that a consultation 21 with a chaplain may be helpful to the pupil, the pupil's teacher or 22 principal shall give notice thereof to the parent or guardian of the 23 pupil and shall inform such parent or guardian of the availability of a 24 chaplain for a consultation with the pupil. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10218-01-9A. 6205 2 1 5. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to imple- 2 ment the provisions of this section. 3 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 4 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 5 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 6 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to 7 be made and completed on or before such effective date.