BILL NUMBER: S894A
SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring public
school districts to provide language assistance to limited English
proficient parents of students
 
PURPOSE:
To ensure that parents who cannot speak English proficiently have
adequate access to education related documents, procedures, teachers,
and school personnel.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 305 the education law by adding new subdivision
57 to require public school districts to establish a language assistance
program where a limited English proficient parents would have effective
access to communicate with school regarding their children's education.
This subdivision only applies to school districts where non-English
speaking residents or limited English-speaking parents constitute five
percent or greater of the residents of such school district.
Section 2 sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The bill is necessary to better serve those parents in the state of New
York who cannot understand the English language. Many parents are immi-
grants who come to this country seeking educational opportunities for
their children. Studies have shown that parental involvement is impor-
tant to a student's success in school. However, parents with limited
English proficiency cannot be involved in their children's education.
In order to better facilitate communication between children and their
parents, it is imperative to implement language assistance programs that
will enable parents to be full participants in their children's educa-
tion.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.463 of 2023-2024; Referred to Education;
S.635 of 2022: referred to education;
S.635 of 2021, referred to education;
S.1697 of 2020, referred to education;
S.1697 of 2019, referred to education;
S.8634 of 2018, referred to education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made and completed
on or before such effective date.

Statutes affected:
S894: 305 education law
S894A: 305 education law