Establishes the school safety specialist act; establishes a certification and training program for school safety specialists; outlines the roles and duties of school safety specialists.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5378
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 21, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. ASHBY, BORRELLO, OBERACKER -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the executive law and the education law, in relation to
establishing the school safety specialist act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "school
2 safety specialist act".
3 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to read
4 as follows:
5 § 844. School safety specialist certification program. 1. The division
6 shall establish and maintain a certification program for school safety
7 specialists, including:
8 (a) development of such program and its content and methodology;
9 (b) creation of the application and certification process; and
10 (c) maintenance and administration of such program.
11 2. Topics of training for school safety specialists shall include, but
12 not be limited to: how to prevent, prepare, and respond to school safety
13 incidents; how to create a culture of school safety; emergency prepared-
14 ness planning; school threat assessment; situational awareness; strate-
15 gic crisis leadership and risk communication; school-based mental health
16 mediation; drug prevention and awareness; cyberbullying; predatory sexu-
17 al behavior; substance use; violence; suicide prevention and mediation;
18 and gang resistance.
19 § 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 2801-c to
20 read as follows:
21 § 2801-c. School safety specialist. 1. Any public or nonpublic school
22 may employ a school safety specialist certified pursuant to section
23 eight hundred forty-four of the executive law, for the purpose of
24 providing improved public safety and security on school grounds. A
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06167-01-5
S. 5378 2
1 school district shall be authorized to employ as many school safety
2 specialists as such district deems necessary.
3 2. School safety specialists, in executing their role, may also:
4 a. propose and enforce policies and administrative actions related to
5 school safety;
6 b. utilize any technology to implement safety;
7 c. serve as a liaison with other school officials and community agen-
8 cies, including, but not limited to, law enforcement agencies, courts,
9 health care entities, and mental health entities;
10 d. develop and execute strategies for prevention, response, and recov-
11 ery efforts for incidents and/or emergency situations occurring on
12 school grounds involving students, faculty, administration, or visitors
13 to such school;
14 e. assist in school emergency drills and creating new school safety
15 plans; and
16 f. provide educational and mentoring services to students.
17 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
18 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
19 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
20 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
21 completed on or before such effective date.
