Bill Text: NY A06205 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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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

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                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.
                                                                   LBD10218-01-9
        A. 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.