STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7143
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 23, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PHEFFER AMATO, COLTON, COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by
-- M. of A. ABBATE -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school session days
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 3604 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 605 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 8. No school shall be in session on a Saturday or a legal holiday,
5 except general election day, Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birth-
6 day, and except that driver education classes may be conducted on a
7 Saturday. No school located in a city with a population of one million
8 or more shall be in session on the day of a primary election or general
9 election. A deficiency not exceeding four days during any school year
10 caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by superintendents
11 of schools of city school districts or other school districts employing
12 superintendents of schools shall be excused by the commissioner,
13 notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the contra-
14 ry, a school district may elect to schedule such conference days in the
15 last two weeks of August, subject to collective bargaining requirements
16 pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law, and such days
17 shall be counted towards the required one hundred eighty days of
18 session, provided however, that such scheduling shall not alter the
19 obligation of the school district to provide transportation to students
20 in non-public elementary and secondary schools or charter schools. At
21 least two such conference days during such school year shall be dedi-
22 cated to staff attendance upon conferences providing staff development
23 relating to implementation of the new high learning standards and
24 assessments, as adopted by the board of regents. Notwithstanding any
25 other provision of law, rule or regulation to the contrary, school
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03435-01-1
A. 7143 2
1 districts may elect to use one or more of such allowable conference days
2 in units of not less than one hour each to provide staff development
3 activities relating to implementation of the new high learning standards
4 and assessments. A district making such election may provide such staff
5 development on any day during which sessions are allowed and apply such
6 units to satisfy a deficiency in the length of one or more daily
7 sessions of instruction for pupils as specified in regulations of the
8 commissioner. The commissioner shall assure that such conference days
9 include appropriate school violence prevention and intervention train-
10 ing, and may require that up to one such conference day be dedicated for
11 such purpose.
12 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
