Relates to establishing a commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners in New York; provides such commission shall report on the best practices and legislative recommendations to close the achievement gap and high school graduation rates between multilingual learners and their English proficient peers from prekindergarten through twelfth grade.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5064
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 18, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to establish a commission for the educational advancement of
multilingual learners in New York; and providing for the repeal of
such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Commission established. (a) A commission, to be known as
2 the commission for the educational advancement of multilingual learners,
3 hereafter referred to as "the commission", is hereby established to
4 study and provide a report on the best practices and legislative recom-
5 mendations to close the achievement gap and high school graduation rates
6 between multilingual learners and their English proficient peers from
7 prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Such report will advise the
8 legislature, the governor, the board of regents, and New York state
9 education officials on the best practices and legislative recommenda-
10 tions to close the achievement gap, and the feasibility and cost to
11 implement such practices in schools.
12 (b) The commission shall be composed of nine members, appointed as
13 follows: (i) two members shall be appointed by the governor; (ii) two
14 members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; (iii) two
15 members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
16 (iv) two members shall be appointed by the commissioner of the New York
17 state department of education; and (v) one member shall be the chancel-
18 lor of the board of regents or appointed thereof. The commission shall
19 be chaired by a person chosen by a majority vote at the first meeting of
20 the commission. The vice-chairperson of the commission shall be
21 appointed by the chairperson. Vacancies in the membership of the commis-
22 sion shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments.
23 (c) The commission shall be made up of at least: (i) one education
24 professional who specializes in English to Speakers of Other Languages
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06115-01-5
S. 5064 2
1 and Bilingual Programs; (ii) one teacher who has experience working with
2 multilingual students; (iii) one education professional who has experi-
3 ence working with early childhood multilingual learners; (iv) one educa-
4 tion professional who has experience with multilingual newcomers and
5 high school graduation; and (v) one education professional who has
6 expertise in education equity of New York state students.
7 (d) The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
8 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
9 incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
10 (e) The commission shall commence no later than 30 days after this act
11 shall become a law.
12 § 2. Appointments to commission. The legislative leaders, the gover-
13 nor, the chancellor of the board of regents, and the commissioner of
14 education shall submit their appointments to the board of regents, and
15 the board of regents shall make such appointments, no later than 30 days
16 after this act shall become a law.
17 § 3. Commission staff and agency liaison. (a) The commissioner of
18 education shall designate such employees of the department of education
19 as are reasonably necessary to provide support services to the commis-
20 sion. The commissioner of education shall appoint one or more represen-
21 tatives of the department of education to serve as liaison between such
22 department and the commission.
23 (b) All state agencies, public authorities, public benefit corpo-
24 rations and any public school district in New York state shall provide
25 such assistance as may be reasonably requested by the chair of the
26 commission.
27 (c) The commission, acting by the chair of the commission, may employ
28 additional staff and consultants, who shall be paid from amounts avail-
29 able to the commission for such purposes.
30 § 4. Accomplishment of purpose. The commission shall be authorized and
31 empowered to undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or analyses it
32 may deem relevant. The commission shall meet and hold public hearings or
33 private meetings within or outside the state, and shall have all the
34 powers of a legislative committee pursuant to the legislative law.
35 § 5. Report on best practices and legislative recommendations. The
36 commission shall make a report of its findings, including any recommen-
37 dations for legislative action as it may deem necessary and appropriate,
38 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of
39 the assembly, the chairperson of the senate committee on education, the
40 chairperson of the senate committee on New York City education, the
41 chairperson of the assembly committee on education, the board of
42 regents, and the commissioner of education no later than December 31,
43 2025.
44 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
45 deemed repealed 2 years after such date.
