Requires all incarcerated individuals who do not have a high-school diploma or its equivalent to receive a reading proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening upon intake by the department of corrections; requires for such individuals who perform below a certain proficiency level to be provided with intervention services that are evidence-based, effective and consistent with science-based research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2304--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 19, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. MYRIE, ASHBY, BROUK, CLEARE, COMRIE, GOUNARDES,
HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, KRUEGER, RIVERA, SALAZAR, SKOUFIS, STAVISKY --
read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction -- reported
favorably from said committee and committed to the Committee on
Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to a reading proficiency
level assessment and dyslexia screening for incarcerated individuals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 137-a
2 to read as follows:
3 § 137-a. Reading proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening.
4 1. As part of the intake process, an incarcerated individual who does
5 not have a high school diploma or its equivalent shall receive a reading
6 proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening administered by the
7 department, provided however, nothing in this section shall preclude the
8 incarcerated individual from completing a department-provided screening
9 that is intended to be self-administered. If an incarcerated individual
10 demonstrates that he or she is below the proficiency level required to
11 be a high-functioning reader, such individual shall be provided with
12 dyslexia intervention that is evidence-based, effective, and consistent
13 with science-based research specifically tailored to addressing dysle-
14 xia.
15 2. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of educa-
16 tion, shall promulgate rules and regulations that require, but are not
17 limited to the following:
18 (a) Teachers at all correctional facilities shall have and demonstrate
19 awareness of the best practices of scientific reading instruction;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01960-03-3
S. 2304--A 2
1 (b) Each incarcerated individual who does not have a high school
2 diploma or its equivalent shall receive a reading proficiency level
3 assessment and a dyslexia screening; and
4 (c) A process be established in which incarcerated individuals, upon
5 intake, are assessed and administered a dyslexia screening by the
6 department, and provided with dyslexia intervention by the department
7 that is evidence-based, effective, and consistent with science-based
8 research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia. The department
9 shall ensure that such intervention services are provided by licensed
10 professionals in permanent competitive positions in the classified
11 service employed by the department.
12 3. Each superintendent shall submit a plan to the department that
13 allows incarcerated individuals to voluntarily receive a reading profi-
14 ciency level assessment, dyslexia screening, and reading instruction
15 that is evidence-based, effective, and consistent with science-based
16 research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia.
17 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
18 have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
19 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
20 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
21 on or before such date.
