BILL NUMBER: S4761
SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the Educa-
tional Rights Transparency for New York Families Act
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To require schools to share their compliance with certain target goals
and publish this information where parents can find it.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill establishes the short title "Educational Rights
Transparency for New York Families Act."
Section two amends the education law to add a new article 67. The new
chapter will require the commissioner of education to promulgate rules
and regulations regarding a student's resource-related rights. The
target resource goals include sufficient numbers of qualified teachers,
principals, and other personnel; suitable and up-to-date curricula;
support for students who are not meeting, or are at risk of not meeting,
state learning standards in a core academic subject; adequate resources
for students with disabilities and English-language learners; appropri-
ate class sizes; sufficient and up-to-date books, supplies, libraries,
educational technology, and laboratories; a safe and orderly environ-
ment; and adequate and accessible school buildings." This section also
contains self-assessment and reporting requirements. School districts
shall be required to collect, examine, and report data for annual
school-level assessments. The bill requires inspections and audits to
validate assessments.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
While the CFE v. State of New York decision "requires the state to offer
all children the opportunity of a sound basic education," parents may
have difficulty determining whether their child's school meets the
criteria for a "sound basic education." This bill mandates that school
districts more accurately assess if individual schools are meeting a
student's "resource-related rights" and more transparently provide that
information to parents.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-20: S8407 - Referred to Education
2021-22: S3889 - Referred to Education
2023-24: S2369 - Referred to Education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect July 1, 2026, with an immediate effective
date for adding, amending, or repealing rules and regulations for imple-
mentation.