BILL NUMBER: S9885A
SPONSOR: SUTTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to reimbursement for
nonpublic school safety equipment grants
 
PURPOSE:
To require that certain nonpublic school aid reimbursements administered
by the New York State Education Department be paid within twelve months
of the nonpublic school furnishing all required application materials
for such grant to the State Education Department.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends Section 305 of the education law by
adding a new subdivision 63 to require that reimbursements provided
under the nonpublic school safety equipment program be paid within
twelve months of the nonpublic school furnishing all required applica-
tion materials for such grant to the State Education Department. This
section also requires the State Education Department to report twice a
year upon any reimbursements payable pursuant to the aforementioned
section that have not been paid within twelve months of the of the
nonpublic school furnishing all required application materials for such
grant to the State Education Department. Lastly, the bill states nothing
in this subdivision shall be construed to apply to any grant funding
awarded on a competitive basis.
Section two of the bill provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State provides nonpublic school safety equipment aid (NPSE) to
support nonpublic schools in meeting state requirements and providing
instruction in this area. However, while the State has established the
aid program to assist nonpublic schools, current law does not consist-
ently require that reimbursements be paid within a defined timeframe.
This differs from the Mandated Services Aid program for nonpublic
schools, which requires claims to be submitted by a specified date and
directs that such claims be paid by the department by a corresponding
statutory deadline.
Delays in reimbursement can create financial uncertainty for nonpublic
schools, which must often expend funds upfront to comply with program
requirements or provide instructional services. Establishing a clear
statutory timeframe for payment will provide greater predictability and
ensure that schools can plan their budgets responsibly. This legislation
addresses this issue by requiring that reimbursements for NPSE grants be
paid within twelve months of the nonpublic school furnishing all
required application materials for such grant to the State Education
Department.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPACT ON THE STATE:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect April 1, 2027.

Statutes affected:
S9885: 3037 education law, 3037(2) education law
S9885A: 305 education law