S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  4620

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 5, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of A. P. RIVERA, McENENY, ESPAILLAT, RAMOS, PERALTA,
  WEISENBERG, J. RIVERA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE,  ALFA-
  NO, BARRA, BENEDETTO, BUTLER, CHRISTENSEN, COLTON, COOK, CUSICK, DIAZ,
  DINOWITZ,  FARRELL,  HOOPER,  JACOBS, JOHN, KOON, V. LOPEZ, MAYERSOHN,
  McDONOUGH, NOLAN,  ORTIZ,  N. RIVERA,  ROBINSON,  SCARBOROUGH,  TOWNS,
  WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to bilingual school safe-
  ty hotlines

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. The legislature here-
by declares that  overwhelming  evidence  indicates  that  violent  acts
performed  by  schoolchildren are increasing in frequency and intensity.
The legislature finds that these incidents result  in  senseless  deaths
and  injuries  and  psychological trauma to the students, their families
and their communities. The legislature finds that children in school are
impressionable and subject to powerful  peer  pressure,  and  therefore,
might  be  disinclined to report a problem to teachers or other authori-
ties because of intimidation, fear of retribution or a  distorted  sense
of  loyalty to their fellow students. The legislature also finds, howev-
er, that students know better than anyone what is  really  occurring  in
their  fellow students' lives and are our best resources for recognizing
the warning signs of potential danger.
  The legislature finds and declares it to be its purpose and policy  to
reduce  school  violence  by  teaching  children that they have the same
responsibility as adults to protect each other. The legislature,  there-
fore,  declares  it to be its purpose and policy to provide for a bilin-
gual school safety hotline.
  S 2. Section 305 of the education law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subdivision 42 to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06671-01-9

              

A. 4620                             2

  42. A. ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT OPERATING SCHOOL SAFETY HOTLINES AS PART OF
A  REPORTING  MECHANISM  OR PROCEDURE FOR THE REPORTING OF VIOLENT INCI-
DENTS PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH J OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT
HUNDRED ONE-A OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL  STAFF  SUCH  HOTLINE  BY  PERSONNEL
FLUENT  IN  THE  TWO  LANGUAGES  MOST  PREVALENT  AMONG STUDENTS OF SUCH
DISTRICT AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER. IN  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  WHERE
SUCH  SCHOOL  SAFETY  HOTLINES  HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED OR SHALL BE ESTAB-
LISHED, AND WHERE SUCH DISTRICTS BELIEVE  THERE  TO  BE  NO  SIGNIFICANT
POPULATION OF SPEAKERS OF LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH, THE DISTRICT MAY
APPLY  TO  THE COMMISSIONER FOR A WAIVER OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR A BILIN-
GUAL HOTLINE.
  B. EACH DISTRICT OPERATING SUCH SCHOOL SAFETY HOTLINE SHALL PROVIDE TO
EACH STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT A COPY OF THE SCHOOL SAFETY HOTLINE  NUMBER
AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SCHOOL YEAR.
  S  3. This act shall take effect September 1, 2010; provided, however,
that effective immediately the commissioner of education  is  authorized
to adopt any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions
of this act on or before such date.