NY State Senate Bill 2023-S1577

Senate Bill S1577

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Requires the department of education to report information regarding counselors, social workers and psychologists in schools

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to education returned to senate died in assembly
Jun 06, 2023	referred to education delivered to assembly passed senate
Jun 01, 2023	ordered to third reading cal.1453 committee discharged and committed to rules
Jan 12, 2023	referred to education

Votes

- Jun 6, 2023 - Floor Vote
  S1577
  
  62
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 6, 2023
      
      aye (62)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Bailey
      
      Borrello
      
      Breslin
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Chu
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Cooney
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Martinez
      
      Martins
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Murray
      
      Myrie
      
      O'Mara
      
      Oberacker
      
      Ortt
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rhoads
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Thomas
      
      Walczyk
      
      Webb
      
      Weber
      
      Weik
      
      excused (1)
      
      Felder
  Jun 1, 2023 - Rules Committee Vote
  S1577
  
  19
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  2
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Rules Committee Vote: Jun 1, 2023
      
      aye (19)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Comrie
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Helming
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Liu
      
      Mayer
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Thomas
      
      aye wr (2)
      
      Griffo
      
      Lanza

co-Sponsors

2023-S1577 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A902
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§305 & 3602, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: A10387
2019-2020: A3576
2021-2022: S8566, A63

2023-S1577 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the department of education to report information regarding counselors, social workers and psychologists in schools and to implement a plan to increase the school counselor, school social worker and school psychologist to student ratio to nationally accepted standards and provide funding for such.

2023-S1577 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1577

SPONSOR: BROUK
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the depart-
ment of education to report information regarding counselors, social
workers and psychologists in schools

 
PURPOSE:

To gather information in order to provide better counseling services to
our students throughout the state by ensuring the state meets the
nationally accepted level of school counselors, school social workers,
and school psychologists per school.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the education law to direct the commissioner of educa-
tion to submit a report to the governor, temporary president of the
senate, and the speaker of the assembly, and specifies the data the
commissioner must include in such report. Following the report, the

commissioner must develop a proposal to increase the number of school
counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists to meet
nationally accepted counseling professional to student ratios in New
York State.

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 1:250
school counselors to students; in New York, the ratio is more than twice
that, at 1:635 school counselors. Similarly, the School Social Work
Association of America recommends a ratio of 1:250 school social workers
to students, and an even lower ratio of 1:50 where students require more
intensive care. The National Association of School Psychologists recom-
mends a ratio of 1:500-700 school psychologists to students, a ratio
that New York met in the 2009-2010 school year with a ratio of 1:600.

With the guidance of school counselors, school social workers, and
school psychologists, students stand a greater chance to succeed in
their education and establishing a concrete path to their futures.

This bill seeks to increase access to mental health services in our
schools by first tracking the number of school counselors, school social
workers, and school psychologists who serve students throughout the
state, and directs the state Education Commissioner to develop a plan to
achieve nationally accepted professional-to-student ratios in every
district and region.

The bill also provides that any additional expense incurred by local
districts in meeting the standards for school counselors, psychologists
and social workers should be reimbursed by the state.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S8566 referred to Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S1577 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1577
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 12, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BROUK  -- 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 requiring the  depart-
   ment  of  education to report information regarding counselors, social
   workers and psychologists in schools

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 60 to read as follows:
   60.  A.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY
 PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND  THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY,  A  REPORT
 REGARDING  SCHOOL  COUNSELORS, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS AND SCHOOL PSYCHOL-
 OGISTS FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT
 BE  LIMITED  TO: (I) THE NUMBER OF FULL AND PART-TIME SCHOOL COUNSELORS,
 SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS IN EACH SCHOOL, (II)  THE
 RATIO  OF  STUDENTS  TO  THE  NUMBER  OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS, THE RATIO OF
 STUDENTS TO THE NUMBER OF  SCHOOL  SOCIAL  WORKERS,  AND  THE  RATIO  OF
 STUDENTS TO THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS IN EACH SCHOOL, AND (III)
 WHETHER  THE  SCHOOL  COUNSELOR, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER OR SCHOOL PSYCHOL-
 OGIST IS PROVIDING COUNSELING ASSISTANCE TO MORE THAN ONE SCHOOL.
   B. AFTER SUCH REPORT IS  ISSUED,  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PREPARE  A
 PROPOSAL  ON  HOW  TO  INCREASE  THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS, SCHOOL
 SOCIAL WORKERS AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS TO MEET THE NATIONALLY  ACCEPTED
 RATIO  OF STUDENTS TO THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS, RATIO OF STUDENTS
 TO THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS, AND RATIO  OF  STUDENTS  TO  THE
 NUMBER  OF  SCHOOL  PSYCHOLOGISTS  WITHIN  NEW  YORK STATE SUCH AS THOSE
 RECOMMENDED BY THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, THE AMERI-
 CAN SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL
 PSYCHOLOGISTS. WHEN PREPARING SUCH PROPOSAL, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL TAKE
 INTO CONSIDERATION THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND
 THE REGION IN WHICH SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT IS LOCATED.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03011-01-3

 S. 1577                             2
 
   C. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL  HAVE
 THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (I)  "SCHOOL  COUNSELOR" SHALL MEAN ANY PERSONNEL, LICENSED AND CERTI-
 FIED BY NEW YORK STATE AS SCHOOL COUNSELOR, HIRED TO PROVIDE  INDIVIDUAL
 OR GROUP COUNSELING ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS IN THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, OR
 HIGH SCHOOL GRADES;
   (II)  "SCHOOL  SOCIAL  WORKER"  SHALL MEAN ANY PERSONNEL, LICENSED AND
 CERTIFIED BY NEW YORK STATE AS A SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, HIRED TO  PROVIDE
 INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP COUNSELING ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS IN THE ELEMENTARY,
 MIDDLE, OR HIGH SCHOOL GRADES; AND
   (III)  "SCHOOL  PSYCHOLOGIST"  SHALL  MEAN ANY PERSONNEL, LICENSED AND
 CERTIFIED BY NEW YORK STATE AS A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST, HIRED  TO  PROVIDE
 INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP COUNSELING ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS IN THE ELEMENTARY,
 MIDDLE, OR HIGH SCHOOL GRADES.
   §  2.  Section  3602  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 21 to read as follows:
   21. IN ADDITION TO THE APPORTIONMENTS PAYABLE  TO  A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT
 PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION,  THE  COMMISSIONER  IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO
 APPORTION TO ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT ADDITIONAL AID PURSUANT TO THIS  SUBDI-
 VISION FOR ITS APPROVED EXPENDITURES IN THE BASE YEAR FOR THE EMPLOYMENT
 OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS AND/OR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS.
 THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ANNUALLY  PRESCRIBE  A COST ALLOWANCE FOR SUCH
 SCHOOL COUNSELORS, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS AND/OR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND
 THE APPROVED EXPENDITURES SHALL NOT EXCEED SUCH COST ALLOWANCE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S1577

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Sponsored By

Samra G. Brouk