Bill Text: NY A03328 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Improves the transportation of children with special needs to and from school; provides that bussing time shall not exceed one and one-half hours; provides a special needs liaison to work with each family with a child with special needs; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to education [A03328 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A03328-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3328

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 2, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. E. BROWN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Education

        AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to improving the trans-
          portation of children with special needs

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Section  3635 of the education law is amended by adding a
     2  new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
     3    9. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule or  regulation,
     4  where a child with special needs legally attends a school district, such
     5  child shall be provided free transportation between home and school.
     6    b.  Each  school district with a child with special needs shall have a
     7  children with special needs liaison who shall work with each child  with
     8  special  needs and the child's family to ensure that the requirements of
     9  this subdivision are met.
    10    c. Such transportation  shall  not  exceed  one  and  one-half  hours,
    11  including flexible wait times at homes to account for such children with
    12  special  needs  potentially  requiring  more  time  to get on and off of
    13  transportation. If the transportation cannot be  completed  within  this
    14  timeframe,  the school district shall either: (i) reduce the transporta-
    15  tion time by adding more transportation within  the  district;  or  (ii)
    16  reimburse, in full, the caretaker of the child for any and all transpor-
    17  tation  expenses  for the safe and timely transportation of the child to
    18  and from the school including, but not limited to, fuel costs,  mileage,
    19  tolls, and fares.
    20    d.  Such transportation used by the school district to transport chil-
    21  dren with special needs shall include cameras and bus  tracking  systems
    22  so the child and the child's family can know when the bus will arrive at
    23  the home.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03584-02-3
        A. 3328                             2

     1    e.  For  the  purposes  of this section, "children with special needs"
     2  shall include, but not be limited to, minors with intellectual or devel-
     3  opmental disabilities.
     4    §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
     5  the date upon which it shall have become a law.