Bill Text: NY S07813 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

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 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S07813 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07813-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7813

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    December 13, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK  --  read  twice and ordered
          printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        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
        S. 7813                             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.