Senate Bill S6593

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

                                  6593

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 29, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  requiring  police
  departments and the department of education to provide the public with
  information regarding school violence

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

  Section 1. Legislative findings.  The  legislature  hereby  finds  and
declares  that  in order to combat violence in our schools, residents of
the state must have accurate information on  the  number  and  types  of
incidents  occurring  and  where  these incidents are taking place. This
information must be made public so that parents are aware of the  safety
conditions within which their children learn and so that our civic lead-
ers can institute meaningful reform.
  To help parents and the public understand and fully assess the problem
of  school  crime and other serious disruptive incidents, the department
of education must continue to enhance and improve upon  the  information
on  school  safety  data  that is provided on the internet. By receiving
this information, the public will be in a better position to analyze and
comment upon any inconsistencies and to  weigh  in  on  proposed  policy
amendments.
  S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 2803 to read
as follows:
  S  2803.  DEPARTMENT  AND  POLICE DEPARTMENT SCHOOL INCIDENT REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS. 1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL  MAKE  AVAILABLE  TO  THE  PUBLIC,
PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION, REPORTS THAT REFLECT THE
ENVIRONMENT OF CRIMINAL AND SERIOUSLY  DISRUPTIVE  BEHAVIOR  IN  SCHOOLS
OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
  2.  SUCH  REPORTS  SHALL  INCLUDE AN ANNUAL REPORTING, ON A STATE-WIDE
BASIS AS WELL AS FOR EACH SCHOOL OR GROUP OF  SCHOOLS  OPERATED  BY  THE
DEPARTMENT  OF  INFORMATION  REPORTED BY LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO THE
DEPARTMENT ON THE FOLLOWING: THE TOTAL AMOUNT  OF  MAJOR  FELONY  CRIME,
DISAGGREGATED  BY  FELONY  CATEGORY;  THE  TOTAL  AMOUNT OF OTHER CRIME,

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD13527-01-6
              

S. 6593                             2

DISAGGREGATED BY CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS AND CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY; AND
THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF NON-CRIMINAL INCIDENTS.
  3.  SUCH  REPORTS  SHALL  ALSO  INCLUDE  AN  ANNUAL  REPORTING,  ON  A
STATE-WIDE BASIS AS WELL AS FOR EACH SCHOOL OR GROUP OF SCHOOLS OPERATED
BY THE DEPARTMENT, OF INCIDENTS DESIGNATED BY THE COMMISSIONER AS  SERI-
OUSLY  DISRUPTIVE,  DANGEROUS OR VIOLENT BEHAVIOR IN SCHOOLS OPERATED BY
THE DEPARTMENT, AS REPORTED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED TWO
OF THIS ARTICLE, OR A SUCCESSOR REPORTING SYSTEM. THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN
CONSULTATION  WITH LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, SHALL DEVELOP GUIDELINES TO
AVOID DUPLICATIVE REPORTING.
  4. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE SUCH REPORTS AVAILABLE ON  ITS  WEB  SITE
AND  SHALL  INCLUDE SUCH INFORMATION IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT CARDS
OR BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES REPORT  CARDS  REQUIRED  BY
THIS  CHAPTER.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALSO MAKE SUCH REPORTS AVAILABLE IN
PAPER FORM AT ALL SCHOOLS AND ALL DISTRICT  AND  REGIONAL  OFFICES,  AND
SHALL  PROVIDE  COPIES  TO  THE PUBLIC UPON REQUEST. SUCH ANNUAL REPORTS
SHALL BE AVAILABLE BY OCTOBER FIRST, AND SHALL  INCLUDE  DATA  FROM  THE
PREVIOUS  SCHOOL YEAR (SEPTEMBER FIRST THROUGH JUNE THIRTIETH) OF INFOR-
MATION REPORTED BY LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO THE  DEPARTMENT  AND,  AS
SOON AS PRACTICABLE, BUT NO LATER THAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE
OF THIS SECTION, SHALL ALSO INCLUDE THE REPORTS GENERATED BY THE DEPART-
MENT DESCRIBED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION.
  S  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law; provided however,  that  effective  immediately,  the
addition,  amendment,  or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
the implementation of this act shall be made and completed on or  before
such effective date.