STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1577 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 12, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BROUK -- 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 the depart- ment of education to report information regarding counselors, social workers and psychologists in schools The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 60 to read as follows: 3 60. a. The commissioner shall submit to the governor, the temporary 4 president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly, a report 5 regarding school counselors, school social workers and school psychol- 6 ogists for the current school year. Such report shall include, but not 7 be limited to: (i) the number of full and part-time school counselors, 8 school social workers and school psychologists in each school, (ii) the 9 ratio of students to the number of school counselors, the ratio of 10 students to the number of school social workers, and the ratio of 11 students to the number of school psychologists in each school, and (iii) 12 whether the school counselor, school social worker or school psychol- 13 ogist is providing counseling assistance to more than one school. 14 b. After such report is issued, the commissioner shall prepare a 15 proposal on how to increase the number of school counselors, school 16 social workers and school psychologists to meet the nationally accepted 17 ratio of students to the number of school counselors, ratio of students 18 to the number of school social workers, and ratio of students to the 19 number of school psychologists within New York state such as those 20 recommended by the school social work association of America, the Ameri- 21 can school counselors association and the national association of school 22 psychologists. When preparing such proposal, the commissioner shall take 23 into consideration the specific needs of individual school districts and 24 the region in which such school district is located. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD03011-01-3S. 1577 2 1 c. For purposes of this subdivision, the following terms shall have 2 the following meanings: 3 (i) "school counselor" shall mean any personnel, licensed and certi- 4 fied by New York state as school counselor, hired to provide individual 5 or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary, middle, or 6 high school grades; 7 (ii) "school social worker" shall mean any personnel, licensed and 8 certified by New York state as a school social worker, hired to provide 9 individual or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary, 10 middle, or high school grades; and 11 (iii) "school psychologist" shall mean any personnel, licensed and 12 certified by New York state as a school psychologist, hired to provide 13 individual or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary, 14 middle, or high school grades. 15 § 2. Section 3602 of the education law is amended by adding a new 16 subdivision 21 to read as follows: 17 21. In addition to the apportionments payable to a school district 18 pursuant to this section, the commissioner is hereby authorized to 19 apportion to any school district additional aid pursuant to this subdi- 20 vision for its approved expenditures in the base year for the employment 21 of school counselors, school social workers and/or school psychologists. 22 The commissioner shall annually prescribe a cost allowance for such 23 school counselors, school social workers and/or school psychologists and 24 the approved expenditures shall not exceed such cost allowance. 25 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.