Bill Text: NY A10685 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires annual reporting by city school districts in cities with a population of over two hundred fifty thousand regarding the arbitration process in teacher disciplinary proceedings.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-08-28 - referred to education [A10685 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A10685-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10685

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     August 28, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Novakhov) --
          read once and referred to the Committee on Education

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to reporting requirements
          regarding  financial expenditures related to certain teacher discipli-
          nary proceedings

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

     1    Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
     2  the "3020-a arbitration process reporting act".
     3    § 2. Legislative findings and declaration of purpose.  It  is  in  the
     4  public  interest to ensure transparency and accountability in the finan-
     5  cial expenditures of  school  districts  in  cities  with  a  population
     6  exceeding  250,000  that  have  a  collective  bargaining agreement. The
     7  3020-a arbitration process, as established under section 3020-a  of  the
     8  education  law,  involves significant financial expenditures that should
     9  be disclosed to ensure responsible fiscal management. The  citizens  and
    10  elected  officials  of such cities have a right to be informed about the
    11  financial aspects of the 3020-a arbitration process  to  promote  public
    12  trust  and informed decision-making. Further, detailed financial report-
    13  ing can help identify  trends,  inefficiencies,  and  opportunities  for
    14  reform  in  the  arbitration process and transparency in the arbitration
    15  process can contribute to better  labor  relations  and  more  effective
    16  governance.
    17    §  3.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 3020-b to
    18  read as follows:
    19    § 3020-b. Arbitration process reporting. 1. Any city  school  district
    20  in  a  city  with a population exceeding two hundred fifty thousand that
    21  has a collective bargaining agreement shall prepare an  annual  itemized
    22  financial  report  on  the  arbitration  process established pursuant to
    23  section three thousand twenty-a of this article.
    24    2. Such report shall include, but not be limited to:
    25    a. every case processed pursuant to  the  arbitration  process  estab-
    26  lished  pursuant  to  section three thousand twenty-a of this article in
    27  such city school district during the previous school year;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15930-01-4
        A. 10685                            2

     1    b. the amount of money spent on each case, itemized by expense catego-
     2  ry, including but not limited to legal fees, arbitrator fees, and admin-
     3  istrative costs;
     4    c. the duration of each case;
     5    d. the specific charges brought in each case;
     6    e. the final resolution or outcome of each case; and
     7    f. a summary page, which shall include but not be limited to:
     8    (i)  the  total  number of cases processed pursuant to the arbitration
     9  process established pursuant to section three thousand twenty-a of  this
    10  article in such city school district during the previous school year;
    11    (ii) the average amount of money spent per case;
    12    (iii) the total amount of money spent on all cases;
    13    (iv) the average duration of each case;
    14    (v) the types of charges brought in such cases; and
    15    (vi)  the  number of cases that resulted in a particular resolution or
    16  outcome.
    17    3. a. No later than  March  first  of  each  year,  each  city  school
    18  district  required to prepare such report pursuant to subdivision one of
    19  this section shall submit such report to the comptroller,  the  assembly
    20  ways  and means committee, the senate finance committee, and all members
    21  of the assembly or senate representing each such city.
    22    b. Such report shall be made publicly available on the website of each
    23  such city and through public records requests.
    24    4. a. The assembly ways and means committee  and  the  senate  finance
    25  committee  shall  hold  annual public hearings to review and discuss the
    26  annual reports required pursuant to this section. Such  public  hearings
    27  shall  allow  for  public  input  and commentary on the findings of such
    28  reports.
    29    b. The assembly ways  and  means  committee  and  the  senate  finance
    30  committee  shall  issue annual summaries of the findings and recommenda-
    31  tions contained in such annual reports  and  discussed  at  such  annual
    32  public hearings.
    33    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.