Bill Text: NY S00395 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: 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.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-1)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-04 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S00395 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S00395-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           395

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        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

        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  such  individual  is  below  the  proficiency  level
    11  required to be a  high-functioning  reader,  such  individual  shall  be
    12  provided  with  dyslexia intervention that is evidence-based, effective,
    13  and consistent with  science-based  research  specifically  tailored  to
    14  addressing dyslexia.
    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;
    20    (b)  Each  incarcerated  individual  who  does  not have a high school
    21  diploma or its equivalent shall  receive  a  reading  proficiency  level
    22  assessment and a dyslexia screening; and

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01711-01-5
        S. 395                              2

     1    (c)  A  process be established in which incarcerated individuals, upon
     2  intake, are assessed  and  administered  a  dyslexia  screening  by  the
     3  department,  and  provided  with dyslexia intervention by the department
     4  that is evidence-based, effective,  and  consistent  with  science-based
     5  research  specifically  tailored to addressing dyslexia.  The department
     6  shall ensure that such intervention services are  provided  by  licensed
     7  professionals  in  permanent  competitive  positions  in  the classified
     8  service employed by the department.
     9    3. Each superintendent shall submit a  plan  to  the  department  that
    10  allows  incarcerated individuals to voluntarily receive a reading profi-
    11  ciency level assessment, dyslexia  screening,  and  reading  instruction
    12  that  is  evidence-based,  effective,  and consistent with science-based
    13  research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia.
    14    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    15  have  become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
    16  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
    17  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
    18  on or before such date.