Bill Text: NY S00597 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires that a fixed percentage amount of school district budgets shall be dedicated and utilized solely for classroom expenses; authorizes the commissioner of education to define the term "classroom expenses".

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S00597 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-S00597-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          597
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    January 9, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  MARCELLINO  -- read twice and ordered printed, and
         when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
       AN ACT to amend the  education  law,  in  relation  to  requiring  fixed
         percentages  of  school  district  budgets  to  be  used for classroom
         expenses
         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 1527-a
    2  to read as follows:
    3    S  1527-A.  SCHOOL BUDGET CLASSROOM EXPENSES.  1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
    4  SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED  TO  PROMUL-
    5  GATE  RULES  AND REGULATIONS TO DEFINE THE TERM "CLASSROOM EXPENSES" AND
    6  TO IDENTIFY THOSE EXPENSES AT A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHICH SHALL  QUALIFY  AS
    7  CLASSROOM EXPENSES.
    8    2.  BEGINNING  WITH  THE  TWO THOUSAND TEN--TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN SCHOOL
    9  YEAR AND EVERY SCHOOL YEAR THEREAFTER, THE SCHOOL  DISTRICT  BUDGET  FOR
   10  EACH  SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THIS STATE SHALL, AT A MINIMUM, PROVIDE A FIXED
   11  PERCENTAGE AMOUNT OF SUCH BUDGET THAT SHALL BE  DEDICATED  AND  UTILIZED
   12  FOR CLASSROOM EXPENSES WITHIN SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT, AS FOLLOWS:
   13    A.  FOR  THE  TWO  THOUSAND TEN--TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN SCHOOL YEAR, SUCH
   14  FIXED PERCENTAGE AMOUNT SHALL BE SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL  SCHOOL
   15  DISTRICT BUDGET;
   16    B.  FOR THE TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN--TWO THOUSAND TWELVE SCHOOL YEAR, SUCH
   17  FIXED PERCENTAGE AMOUNT SHALL BE SEVENTY PERCENT  OF  THE  TOTAL  SCHOOL
   18  DISTRICT BUDGET; AND
   19    C.  FOR THE TWO THOUSAND TWELVE--TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN SCHOOL YEAR AND
   20  EACH SCHOOL YEAR THEREAFTER,  SUCH  FIXED  PERCENTAGE  AMOUNT  SHALL  BE
   21  SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET.
   22    3.  ANY  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  WHICH PROVIDES LESS THAN THE REQUIRED FIXED
   23  PERCENTAGE AMOUNT FOR CLASSROOM EXPENSES SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF
   24  THIS SECTION FOR ANY SCHOOL YEAR SHALL  INCREASE  THAT  PORTION  OF  ITS
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02918-01-9
       S. 597                              2
    1  BUDGET DEDICATED AND UTILIZED FOR CLASSROOM EXPENSES BY A MINIMUM OF TWO
    2  PERCENT  EACH  YEAR UNTIL SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE
    3  REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.
    4    4.  IF  ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF
    5  THIS SECTION FOR ANY SCHOOL YEAR, SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY APPLY TO  THE
    6  COMMISSIONER  FOR  A WAIVER FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION FOR SUCH
    7  SCHOOL YEAR. UPON A FINDING BY THE  COMMISSIONER  THAT  SPECIAL  CIRCUM-
    8  STANCES  EXIST  THAT  JUSTIFY SUCH NONCOMPLIANCE, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
    9  GRANT SUCH WAIVER FOR SUCH SCHOOL YEAR. SUCH WAIVER SHALL  BE  RENEWABLE
   10  ON  A  YEAR  TO  YEAR BASIS UPON A FINDING BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT SUCH
   11  SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES CONTINUE TO EXIST.
   12    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.