S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2968
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   January 30, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  FUNKE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the effect of mandates
         on school districts
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 308-a
    2  to read as follows:
    3    S 308-A. SPECIAL PROVISIONS; MANDATES. 1. AS  USED  IN  THIS  SECTION,
    4  "MANDATE"  MEANS  (A)  ANY STATE LAW, RULE OR REGULATION WHICH CREATES A
    5  NEW PROGRAM OR REQUIRES A  HIGHER  LEVEL  OF  SERVICE  FOR  AN  EXISTING
    6  PROGRAM  WHICH  A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT, ORGANIZED EITHER BY SPECIAL LAWS OR
    7  PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF A GENERAL LAW, IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE, OR
    8    (B) ANY GENERAL LAW WHICH GRANTS  A  NEW  PROPERTY  TAX  EXEMPTION  OR
    9  INCREASES  AN  EXISTING  PROPERTY  TAX  EXEMPTION  WHICH ANY SUCH SCHOOL
   10  DISTRICT IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE.
   11    2. IN THE EVENT THAT A MANDATE WHICH IMPOSES  A  COST  UPON  A  SCHOOL
   12  DISTRICT  IS CREATED AFTER THE ADOPTION OF A SCHOOL BUDGET, SUCH MANDATE
   13  SHALL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR FOR WHICH SUCH  SCHOOL
   14  BUDGET WAS ADOPTED.
   15    3. NOTWITHSTANDING SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, SUCH A MANDATE CAN
   16  BE IMPOSED IF:
   17    (A) THE MANDATE IS PROVIDED AT THE OPTION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT UNDER
   18  A LAW, REGULATION, RULE OR ORDER THAT IS PERMISSIVE RATHER THAN MANDATO-
   19  RY;
   20    (B)  THE MANDATE IS REQUIRED BY, OR ARISES FROM, AN EXECUTIVE ORDER OF
   21  THE GOVERNOR EXERCISING HIS OR HER EMERGENCY POWERS; OR
   22    (C) THE MANDATE IS REQUIRED BY STATUTE OR EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT  IMPLE-
   23  MENTS A FEDERAL LAW OR REGULATION AND RESULTS FROM COSTS MANDATED BY THE
   24  FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BE BORNE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, UNLESS THE STATUTE OR
   25  EXECUTIVE  ORDER  IMPOSES  COSTS  WHICH EXCEED THE COSTS MANDATED BY THE
   26  FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
   27    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD06350-01-5