Directs the commissioner of education, in conjunction with the superintendent of state police and the commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency services, to establish standards for the security and safety of school grounds.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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7929
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. MAYER -- 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 minimum standards for
the security and safety of school grounds
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 57 to read as follows:
3 57. The commissioner, in conjunction with the superintendent of state
4 police and the commissioner of the division of homeland security and
5 emergency services, shall establish, by rule, minimum standards for the
6 security and safety of school buildings, grounds and property so as to
7 provide an appropriately safe learning environment. Such standards shall
8 include, but not be limited to, the security of building doors, windows
9 and other points of entry, and access to school grounds and property,
10 including guidelines for fences and security gates.
11 § 2. The opening paragraph of subdivision 6 of section 3602 of the
12 education law, as amended by chapter 529 of the laws of 2023, is amended
13 to read as follows:
14 Any apportionment to a school district pursuant to this subdivision
15 shall be based upon base year approved expenditures for capital outlays
16 incurred prior to July first, two thousand one from its general fund,
17 capital fund or reserved funds and current year approved expenditures
18 for debt service, including debt service for refunding bond issues
19 eligible for an apportionment pursuant to paragraph g of this subdivi-
20 sion and lease or other annual payments to the New York city educational
21 construction fund created by article ten of this chapter or the city of
22 Yonkers educational construction fund created by article ten-B of this
23 chapter which have been pledged to secure the payment of bonds, notes or
24 other obligations issued by the fund to finance the construction, acqui-
25 sition, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of the school
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05459-03-5
S. 7929 2
1 portion of combined occupancy structures, or for lease or other annual
2 payments to the New York state urban development corporation created by
3 chapter one hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-
4 eight, pursuant to agreement between such school district and such
5 corporation relating to the construction, acquisition, reconstruction,
6 rehabilitation or improvement of any school building, or for annual
7 payments to the dormitory authority pursuant to any lease, sublease or
8 other agreement relating to the financing, refinancing, acquisition,
9 design, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement,
10 furnishing and equipping of, or otherwise provide for school district
11 capital facilities or school district capital equipment made under the
12 provisions of section sixteen hundred eighty of the public authorities
13 law, or for annual payments pursuant to any lease, sublease or other
14 agreement relating to the financing, refinancing, acquisition, design,
15 construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, furnishing
16 and equipping of, or otherwise providing for educational facilities of a
17 city school district under the provisions of section sixteen of chapter
18 six hundred five of the laws of two thousand, or for payments, pursuant
19 to any assignment authorized by section twenty-seven hundred ninety-
20 nine-tt of the public authorities law, of debt service in furtherance of
21 funding the five-year educational facilities capital plan of the city of
22 New York school district or related debt service costs and expenses as
23 set forth in such section, for annual payments pursuant to any lease,
24 sublease or other agreement relating to the financing, refinancing,
25 design, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, furnishing and
26 equipping of, or otherwise providing for projects authorized pursuant to
27 the city of Syracuse and the board of education of the city school
28 district of the city of Syracuse cooperative school reconstruction act,
29 for annual payments pursuant to any lease, sublease or other agreement
30 relating to the financing, refinancing, design, reconstruction, rehabil-
31 itation, improvement, furnishing and equipping of, or otherwise provid-
32 ing for projects authorized pursuant to the city of Rochester and the
33 board of education of the city school district of the city of Rochester
34 school facilities modernization program act, for annual payments pursu-
35 ant to any lease, sublease or other agreement relating to the financing,
36 refinancing, design, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation,
37 improvement, furnishing and equipping of, or otherwise providing for
38 projects authorized pursuant to the Yonkers city school district facili-
39 ties modernization program act, or for lease, lease-purchase or other
40 annual payments to another school district or person, partnership or
41 corporation pursuant to an agreement made under the provisions of
42 section four hundred three-b, subdivision eight of section twenty-five
43 hundred three, or subdivision six of section twenty-five hundred fifty-
44 four of this chapter, provided that the apportionment for such lease or
45 other annual payments under the provisions of section four hundred
46 three-b, subdivision eight of section twenty-five hundred three, or
47 subdivision six of section twenty-five hundred fifty-four of this chap-
48 ter, other than payments under a lease-purchase agreement or an equiv-
49 alent agreement, shall be based upon approved expenditures in the
50 current year. Approved expenditures for capital outlays from a school
51 district's general fund, capital fund or reserved funds that are
52 incurred on or after July first, two thousand two, and are not aidable
53 pursuant to subdivision six-f of this section, shall be aidable as debt
54 service under an assumed amortization established pursuant to paragraphs
55 e and j of this subdivision. In any such case approved expenditures
56 shall be only for new construction, reconstruction, purchase of existing
S. 7929 3
1 structures, for site purchase and improvement, for new garages, for
2 original equipment, furnishings, machinery, or apparatus, and for
3 professional fees and other costs incidental to such construction or
4 reconstruction, or purchase of existing structures. In the case of a
5 lease or lease-purchase agreement entered pursuant to section four
6 hundred three-b, subdivision eight of section twenty-five hundred three
7 or subdivision six of section twenty-five hundred fifty-four of this
8 chapter, approved expenditures for the lease or other annual payments
9 shall not include the costs of heat, electricity, water or other utili-
10 ties or the costs of operation or maintenance of the leased facility. An
11 apportionment shall be available pursuant to this subdivision for
12 construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement in a build-
13 ing, or portion thereof, being leased by a school district only if the
14 lease is for a term of at least ten years subsequent to the date of the
15 general construction contract for such construction, reconstruction,
16 rehabilitation or improvement. Each school district shall prepare a five
17 year capital facilities plan, pursuant to regulations developed by the
18 commissioner for such purpose, provided that in the case of a city
19 school district in a city having a population of one million inhabitants
20 or more, such facilities plan shall comply with the provisions of
21 section twenty-five hundred ninety-p of this chapter and this subdivi-
22 sion. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, a building inven-
23 tory, and estimated expense of facility needs, for new construction,
24 additions, alterations, reconstruction, major repairs, energy consump-
25 tion and maintenance by school building, as appropriate. Such plan shall
26 consider the incorporation of design principles and strategies, pursuant
27 to guidance issued by the commissioner, as part of a comprehensive
28 approach to provide a safe, secure and healthy school environment. Such
29 five year plan shall include a priority ranking of projects, including
30 those necessary to comply with such safety standards as are established
31 pursuant to subdivision fifty-seven of section three hundred five of
32 this chapter, and shall be amended if necessary to reflect subsequent
33 on-site evaluations of facilities conducted by state supported contrac-
34 tors.
35 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
36 the date on which it shall have become a law.
