Senate Bill S2045

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S2045

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting
discrimination on account of a person's military status in the United
States armed forces


 PURPOSE :

To ensure that a student's military status is not used to disadvantage
or disqualify him or her from participation in high school
extracurricular activities, including, but not limited to, high school
athletics.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 -- Adds a section 3201-b to the Education Law. This new
section prohibits a student's military status from being used to
exclude, disadvantage, or disqualify the student from high school or
extracurricular activities, including, but not limited to, high school
athletics.

Section 2 -- Effective date.

              

 JUSTIFICATION :

Recently, school officials at a Central New York school barred a high
school student from playing on the school's soccer team because the
student was unable to attend certain team activities that occurred
early in the season. This would normally seem like a fair and just
decision by the school officials, but in this case, the student was
unable to participate in those activities because she was
participating in military training.

No patriotic young American should have to choose between doing the
things all young Americans love to do and serving his or her country.
This legislation aims to protect those young New Yorkers who serve
this nation by ensuring that their military status is not used to
disadvantage, disqualify, or exclude them from high school activities.

Those who wear this country's uniform should be honored and respected
for their commitment. By enacting this bill into law, we can provide a
much needed protection to those high school students who serve this
nation.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

S.6662/A.9855 of 2008

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.