Bill Text: NY S04159 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the commissioner of education to make a report on the extent of all existing resources and best practices available for swimming instruction classes in public schools and establish a working group on swimming education.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S04159 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S04159-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4159

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 3, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- 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 reporting on  swimming
          education  in  a  public  school; and providing for the repeal of such
          provisions upon the expiration thereof

          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 817 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  817.  Swimming education. (a) Within one year of the effective date
     4  of this section, the commissioner shall allocate  monies  from  existing
     5  budgetary  resources  to inventory and report to the education committee
     6  of the legislature on the extent of  all  existing  resources  and  best
     7  practices available for swimming instruction classes in public schools.
     8    (b)  The  commissioner  shall  establish  a  working group on swimming
     9  education which shall be composed of not more than  fifteen  individuals
    10  representing interested stakeholders, including:
    11    (i) the commissioner or his or her designee;
    12    (ii)  physical  education  teachers  who teach at any grade level from
    13  kindergarten through twelve;
    14    (iii) school administrators who work at an elementary  school,  middle
    15  school or high school;
    16    (iv) members of school board associations;
    17    (v)  individuals who represent not-for-profit recreational and fitness
    18  organizations across the state;
    19    (vi) individuals who represent public park and recreation  departments
    20  across the state; and
    21    (vii)  any other stakeholder the commissioner deems necessary, includ-
    22  ing but not limited  to,  community  members  who  are  underserved  and
    23  disproportionately  impacted  by  the  current  distribution of swimming
    24  resources in their public school districts.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07191-01-3
        S. 4159                             2

     1    (c) Eighteen months after the effective  date  of  this  section,  the
     2  working  group on swimming education shall submit a report to the educa-
     3  tion committee, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of
     4  the assembly, of  such  working  group's  findings  and  recommendations
     5  regarding  resources, personnel and any other costs needed to make swim-
     6  ming instruction available in all public schools  for  children  of  all
     7  ages.   Such report shall consider the commissioner's report pursuant to
     8  subdivision (a) of this section.
     9    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    10  deemed repealed six months after the working group on swimming education
    11  reports  its findings and recommendations to the legislature pursuant to
    12  subdivision (c) of section 817 of the education law as added by  section
    13  one of this act; provided that the commissioner of education shall noti-
    14  fy  the  legislative bill drafting commission upon the submission of the
    15  report required in subdivision (c) of section 817 of the  education  law
    16  as  added  by  section  one of this act in order that the commission may
    17  maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text
    18  of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating  the
    19  provisions  of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the
    20  public officers law.