NY State Senate Bill 2009-S1076

Senate Bill S1076

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Requires school districts to develop a policy limiting the use of school-owned cell phones to school related purposes

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Archive: Last 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

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to education
Jan 23, 2009	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2009-S1076 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3254
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §308-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2011-2012 Legislative Session:: S812, A521

2009-S1076 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires school districts to develop a policy regulating the use of school-owned cell phones to include, but not be limited to, requiring that they be used only for school related purposes.

2009-S1076 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S1076

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring public
school districts to develop policies limiting the use of
district-owned cellular phones


 PURPOSE :

Requires school districts to develop a policy limiting the use of
school-owned cell phones to school related purposes.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

The education law is amended by adding a new section 308-a.

 JUSTIFICATION :

New York State's taxpayers invest more than $39 billion per year for
education in New York State. It is an investment that New Yorkers make
because of their longstanding commitment to ensuring a quality
education for all of their children and because of the recognition of
the crucial role that education plays in ensuring the continued
vitality of the state.

Because the investment is so important, it is crucial that we do
everything we can to ensure that money is spent in a fiscally prudent
and financially responsible manner. Unfortunately, recent events have
underscored the fact that financial oversight of school districts is
woefully inadequate and that fundamental change is required in order
to ensure the continued confidence of New Yorkers in their education
investment. Audits conducted by the State Comptroller's Office have
revealed that some school districts have reimbursement policies for
personal usage, while others completely lack policies and make feeble,
if any, attempts to recoup monies for personal use of district
cellular phones.

Although the Legislature enacted laws to improve the fiscal oversight
of school district finances in the 2005 Legislative Session, this
legislation did not substantially improve accountability and the use
of district automobiles, cellular phones, and credit cards. This
legislation will ensure that districts have "use policies" for cell
phones and prevent the misuse of such taxpayer funded items. The lack
of written policies makes it nearly impossible to ensure that money is
being spent according to Board of Education policies and in the best
interest of the school district and local taxpayers.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2007-08, S.873; 2005-06, S.6665

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to state.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2009-S1076 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

    S. 1076                                                  A. 3254

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                      S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y

                            January 23, 2009
                               ___________

IN  SENATE -- Introduced by Sens. LAVALLE, ONORATO, VOLKER -- read twice
  and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
  on Education

IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once  and  referred
  to the Committee on Education

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law, in relation to requiring public
  school districts to develop policies limiting  the  use  of  district-
  owned cellular phones

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

  Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  308-a
to read as follows:
  S  308-A.  POLICIES; CELLULAR PHONES.   THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED
AND DIRECTED TO REQUIRE ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DEVELOP A  POLICY
REGULATING  THE USE OF CELLULAR PHONES PURCHASED BY SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT
FOR USE BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL. SUCH POLICY SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NEED NOT  BE
LIMITED  TO,  THE  RESTRICTION  OF SUCH CELLULAR PHONES TO USE BY SCHOOL
PERSONNEL ONLY AND ONLY FOR PURPOSES DIRECTLY RELATED TO SCHOOL DISTRICT
RELATED BUSINESS.   FOR PURPOSES OF  THIS  SECTION,  "SCHOOL  PERSONNEL"
SHALL  INCLUDE  FULL-TIME  AND PART-TIME FACULTY, STAFF, ADMINISTRATION,
AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED FROM TIME TO  TIME
IN SCHOOL DISTRICT RELATED BUSINESS.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.



 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04565-02-9

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Senate Bill S1076

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Sponsored By

Kenneth P. LaValle