S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7706
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 22, 2009
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Introduced by M. of A. P. RIVERA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
ARROYO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring all public
school students to wear a school district uniform
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby
finds that there is a strong co-relation between school gang violence
proliferation, and the distinctive and casual clothing school kids wear
to school. This legislature sees necessary to address and combat this
issue, which is of great public concern, with all practical and empir-
ical means at its disposal, and that those means should be put into
practice by all competent authorities and institutions in New York
state.
A study found out that due to increased prevalence of school violence,
one in five public school students feels less eager to go to school
every day, one in seven feels less inclined to pay attention to learn-
ing, and one in ten stays home from school or cuts class. Moreover, one
of every 10 to 12 youths who stay away from school does so because of
fear. Meanwhile, of the 5,500 principals surveyed as attendees of the
National Association of Secondary School Principals' annual conference,
more than 70% believed that requiring students to wear uniforms to
school would reduce violent incidents and discipline problems.
More than 12 states, including California, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
and Washington, have state policies that permit individual schools or
districts to adopt school uniform policies or dress codes. To emphasize,
there have been several successful programs implemented during the past
few years, with the Long Beach, California program being by far the most
widely reviewed and written about. The program that began in the fall of
1994 requires uniforms for 70,000 students in kindergarten through
eighth grades. With a 98% compliance rate, results during their first
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10051-01-9
A. 7706 2
years have proven the dramatic effect a successful school uniform policy
can have on a school system. The first year alone they saw a 43%
reduction in suspensions, 54% fewer fights, a 70% reduction in substance
abuse, over 20% fewer cases of weapons possession and robbery, and an
over 50% reduction in reports of battery against employees. Other school
systems nationwide likewise report similar changes in statistics. As
recently as the summer of 2002, school districts were adding school
uniform requirements to district mandates. The school board for the
Memphis City Schools in Tennessee voted in June, 2002, to require each
school's leadership council to establish a uniform dress code policy,
and more schools in the Cincinnati, Ohio area were requiring either
school uniforms or the adoption of standard dress codes. For this
reason, as more states in the country are implementing these policies
that are working towards fighting gang proliferation, New York state
should not be the exception, especially when, in the past ten years,
there has been a dramatic increase in the number of school students
recruited by gangs.
According to USA Today, parents spent an average of $185 per child
buying non-uniform clothing in 1998, compared with an average of $104
spent per child to purchase uniforms. Furthermore, a more recent article
in the Wall Street Journal lists uniform costs; the range is $25-$40 per
outfit.
This act will not only impact the social and economic status of fami-
lies throughout the state by providing inexpensive uniforms, but it will
enhance students' concentration on studying rather than on forming or
joining gangs. Also, it is the finding of this legislature that requir-
ing school students in this state to wear uniforms will diminish exclu-
sion of students based on what they are wearing, place stronger focus on
academic performance, decrease opportunity for showing gang affiliation
or hiding weapons, create an atmosphere of teamwork and pride in
personal appearance and school, promote safety (makes it easier to iden-
tify strangers in school), put students in a more common ground, and
reduce discrepancies in administering dress-codes justice.
S 2. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 42 to read as follows:
42. HE OR SHE SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS REQUIRING SCHOOL
DISTRICTS TO ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A SCHOOL DISTRICT UNIFORM POLICY
FOR ALL STUDENTS IN GRADES ONE THROUGH TWELVE, PURSUANT TO SECTION TWEN-
TY-EIGHT HUNDRED THREE OF THIS CHAPTER. PROVIDED THAT FOR THE CITY
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTAB-
LISH BY RULE A REQUIREMENT THAT EVERY STUDENT IN SUCH DISTRICT, IN
GRADES ONE THROUGH TWELVE, WEAR A UNIFORM SPECIFIED FOR SUCH CITY SCHOOL
DISTRICT BY THE COMMISSIONER.
S 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 2803 to read
as follows:
S 2803. SCHOOL DISTRICT UNIFORMS. 1. EXCEPT IN THE CITY SCHOOL
DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR TRUSTEES OF
EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE, AND EACH BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCA-
TIONAL SERVICES SHALL ESTABLISH A REQUIREMENT THAT EVERY STUDENT IN
GRADES ONE THROUGH TWELVE WEAR THE STUDENT UNIFORM SPECIFIED BY SUCH
BOARD.
2. IN THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, EVERY STUDENT
IN GRADES ONE THROUGH TWELVE SHALL WEAR THE STUDENT UNIFORM SPECIFIED BY
THE COMMISSIONER FOR STUDENTS IN SUCH DISTRICT PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
FORTY-TWO OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER.
A. 7706 3
S 4. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that section
three of this act shall take effect on the first of September or the
first of January, whichever occurs first, next succeeding the one
hundred eightieth day after the effective date of this act.