Bill Text: NY S00441 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Establishes a dyslexia and dysgraphia task force; implements the findings of such task force.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-24 - SUBSTITUTED BY A2185B [S00441 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S00441-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         441--B

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 6, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  HOYLMAN, HINCHEY, JACKSON, MYRIE, SKOUFIS -- read
          twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
          Committee  on Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --  recommitted
          to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8
          --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
          and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT in relation to establishing a dyslexia task force

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

     1    Section 1. Dyslexia task force. 1. The commissioner of education shall
     2  establish  a  task  force to examine appropriate and effective evidence-
     3  based screening methods, reading interventions,  and  other  educational
     4  supports for dyslexia and related disorders for students in kindergarten
     5  through  grade  five.    Such  task  force shall consist of at least ten
     6  members, including the commissioner of education or their designee,  who
     7  shall  serve  as chair of the task force. The remaining members shall be
     8  appointed by the commissioner of education in such a  manner  to  ensure
     9  that all regions of the state are represented, and shall include: (a) at
    10  least  two  professionals who specialize in identifying, evaluating, and
    11  diagnosing individuals with dyslexia and related disorders; (b) at least
    12  one member who specializes in educating individuals  with  dyslexia  and
    13  related  disorders;  (c) at least one parent of a student with dyslexia;
    14  (d) at least one individual with dyslexia; and (e) at least  one  repre-
    15  sentative  from  an  institute  of  higher education who is an expert in
    16  dyslexia and related disorders. All  members  shall  have  expertise  in
    17  fields  or  disciplines  related  to the identification of students with
    18  learning disabilities including the unique educational needs of students
    19  with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02478-09-2
        S. 441--B                           2

     1    2. The task force shall conduct at least two public hearings  for  the
     2  purpose  of obtaining information from stakeholders and other interested
     3  parties including  but  not  limited  to  speech  pathologists,  reading
     4  specialists, teachers, school administrators, and parents.
     5    3.  The  task  force shall prepare and submit a report of its findings
     6  and recommendations to the governor, temporary president of  the  senate
     7  and  speaker  of  the assembly eighteen months after the date upon which
     8  this section shall have become a law.
     9    4. For the purposes of this section, the term "screening methods"  may
    10  include  examining  the use and frequency of dyslexia screeners that are
    11  valid, reliable, low cost, and developmentally appropriate that  measure
    12  deficits  in areas including: (a) phonological awareness; (b) phonologi-
    13  cal or language-based memory; (c) rapid automatic naming; (d)  receptive
    14  vocabulary; (e) phonics skills; (f) decoding and encoding real and pseu-
    15  do-words;  (g) oral reading fluency; and (h) writing at the sentence and
    16  paragraph level. Dyslexia screeners shall be inclusive of students  with
    17  diverse  racial,  linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds, and factor
    18  familial history.
    19    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.