S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5881
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 23, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DIAZ -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school session days
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 3604 of the education law, as
amended by section 46 of part H of chapter 83 of the laws of 2002, is
amended to read as follows:
8. No school shall be in session on a Saturday or a legal holiday,
except [general election day,] Washington's birthday and Lincoln's
birthday, and except that driver education classes may be conducted on a
Saturday. A deficiency not exceeding three days during any school year
caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by superintendents
of schools of city school districts or other school districts employing
superintendents of schools shall be excused by the commissioner,
provided however, notwithstanding any other provision of law, that
during the nineteen hundred ninety-two--ninety-three through the two
thousand two--two thousand three school years and thereafter, the
commissioner shall excuse a deficiency not exceeding four days during
such school year caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by
such superintendents, provided that at least two such conference days
during such school year shall be dedicated to staff attendance upon
conferences providing staff development relating to implementation of
the new high learning standards and assessments, as adopted by the board
of regents. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule or regu-
lation to the contrary, school districts may elect to use one or more of
such allowable conference days in units of not less than one hour each
to provide staff development activities relating to implementation of
the new high learning standards and assessments. A district making such
election may provide such staff development during the regularly sched-
uled daily session and apply such units to satisfy a deficiency in the
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09411-01-9
A. 5881 2
length of one or more daily sessions of instruction for pupils as speci-
fied in regulations of the commissioner. The commissioner shall assure
that such conference days include appropriate school violence prevention
and intervention training, and may require that up to one such confer-
ence day be dedicated for such purpose.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.