New York State Assembly

 
•  Summary 
 
•  Actions 
 
•  Committee Votes 
 
•  Floor Votes 
 
•  Memo 
 
•  Text 
 
•  LFIN 
 
•  Chamber Video/Transcript 

S01099 Summary:

S01099 Actions:

S01099 Committee Votes:

S01099 Floor Votes:

S01099 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          1099
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sens. MAY, COMRIE, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, WEBB -- read twice
          and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
          on Libraries
 
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the  "freedom
          to read act"
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
     2  the "freedom to read act".
     3    § 2. Section 276 of the education law is amended to read as follows:
     4    § 276. Existing  rules continued in force.  All existing provisions of
     5  law and rules established by  the  commissioner  of  education  for  the
     6  management  of public school libraries shall hold good as to the manage-
     7  ment of such school libraries until altered by or in pursuance  of  law.
     8  Such  laws and rules established by the commissioner shall include poli-
     9  cies to ensure that school libraries and library  staff,  including  but
    10  not  limited  to  certified  library media specialists, are empowered to
    11  curate and develop collections that provide students with access to  the
    12  widest  array  of  developmentally  appropriate  materials  available to
    13  school districts.
    14    § 3. Section 283 of the education law, as added by chapter 348 of  the
    15  laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
    16    § 283. Functions  of  school library systems.  The functions of school
    17  library systems shall include but not be limited to:  (a)  creating  and
    18  developing  a  union  catalog of materials listing the resources of each
    19  participating school library; (b) developing a plan which will aid  each
    20  participating  school library in cooperative collection development; (c)
    21  adopting and implementing an interlibrary loan policy and program  among
    22  participating  school  libraries;  (d)  assuring  a  method of effective
    23  delivery of library materials within the system; (e) promoting  develop-
    24  ment  programs  and  continuing  education  for  staff  of participating
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03534-01-5
        S. 1099                             2
 
     1  schools; (f) encouraging awareness of the resources and services  avail-
     2  able in participating school libraries; [and] (g) cooperating with other
     3  library  systems  in  resource  sharing and other activities[.]; and (h)
     4  ensuring  that  school  libraries  and  library staff, including but not
     5  limited to certified library media specialists, are empowered to  curate
     6  and  develop collections that provide students with access to the widest
     7  array of developmentally appropriate materials available to  participat-
     8  ing schools.
     9    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.