STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6252--A
                    IN SENATE
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 6, 2016
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by Sens. HAMILTON, COMRIE -- 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
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a comput-
          er coding and basic programming course for secondary 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 55 to read as follows:
     3    55.  a.  The  commissioner  shall make recommendations to the board of
     4  regents relating to the adoption of instruction in computer  coding  and
     5  basic programming in senior high schools.
     6    b.  Prior  to  making the recommendations to the board of regents, the
     7  commissioner shall:
     8    (i) seek  the  recommendations  of  teachers,  school  administrators,
     9  teacher  educators and others with educational expertise in the proposed
    10  curriculum;
    11    (ii) seek comment from parents, students and other interested parties;
    12    (iii) consider the amount of instructional time such  curriculum  will
    13  require  and whether such time would detract from other mandated courses
    14  of study;
    15    (iv) consider the fiscal impact, if  any,  on  the  state  and  school
    16  districts; and
    17    (v) consider any additional factors the commissioner deems relevant.
    18    c.  No  later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of
    19  this subdivision, the commissioner shall provide a recommendation to the
    20  board of regents to either adopt and promulgate  appropriate  rules  and
    21  regulations implementing such curriculum or reject the implementation of
    22  such  curriculum. Upon receiving a recommendation from the commissioner,
    23  pursuant to this subdivision, the board of regents shall vote to  either
    24  accept  or  reject the commissioner's recommendation no later than sixty
    25  days after receiving such recommendation.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13198-02-6
        S. 6252--A                          2
     1    d. If the board of regents  adopts  such  curriculum,  the  curriculum
     2  requirement  shall  take effect no later than the next school year after
     3  such curriculum has been adopted.
     4    e.  If  the board of regents rejects such curriculum, the commissioner
     5  shall provide a report as to the  determination  of  the  board  to  the
     6  governor,  the  temporary  president  of  the senate, the speaker of the
     7  assembly and the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on  educa-
     8  tion providing the reasons for such rejection not later than thirty days
     9  after the board of regents rejects such curriculum.
    10    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.