NY State Senate Bill 2015-S7982

Senate Bill S7982

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Relates to policies that allow students with disabilities to participate in a high school graduation ceremony

download bill text pdf

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 02, 2016	referred to education

2015-S7982 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10484
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §4402, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2017-2018 Legislative Session:: S4729, A1595

2015-S7982 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the board of education or the board of trustees to establish policies and procedures to allow any student with a disability to participate in the graduation ceremony and all related activities.

2015-S7982 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S7982

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to policies that allow
students with disabilities to participate in a high school graduation
ceremony

 PURPOSE :

Requires a local policy be put in place to allow students with
disabilities to participate in a high school graduation ceremony.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1: Short Title-"Zachary's Law"

Section 2 amends the education law by requiring the board of education
or the board of trustees of each school district to establish a policy
to allow any students with a disability to participate in the
graduation ceremony of the student's high school graduating class if
the student has been issued a skills and achievement commencement
credential but has not otherwise qualified for a regents or local high
school diploma. The school district must provide annual written notice
to all students with disabilities and their parents or guardians about
the school district's policy.

Section 3: Effective Date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Currently in New York there is no required policy by the State
Education Department to allow students with disabilities to
participate in their graduation ceremony. This legislation recognizes
that a small number of students with disabilities will need special
considerations while maintaining their academic studies toward the
high school diploma or state equivalent. Some students may need to
consider that earning a high school diploma will take longer than four
years. Parents and students must have a clear understanding of the
requirements to participate in the graduation ceremony, so that the
student and parent can plan on how she or he will meet those
requirements.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

None.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to state.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.

2015-S7982 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                  7982

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              June 2, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  LARKIN -- 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  policies  that  allow
  students  with disabilities to participate in a high school graduation
  ceremony

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

  Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
"Zachary's Law".
  S 2. Section 4402 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subdivision 9 to read as follows:
  9.  THE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  OR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF EACH SCHOOL
DISTRICT THAT OPERATES A HIGH SCHOOL SHALL ESTABLISH A POLICY AND  ADOPT
PROCEDURES  TO  ALLOW  ANY STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY IN SUCH DISTRICT TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE GRADUATION CEREMONY  OF  THE  STUDENT'S  HIGH  SCHOOL
GRADUATING  CLASS  AND  ALL  RELATED ACTIVITIES IF SUCH STUDENT HAS BEEN
ISSUED A SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENT  COMMENCEMENT  CREDENTIAL  BUT  HAS  NOT
OTHERWISE  QUALIFIED  FOR  A REGENTS OR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.  SUCH
STUDENT SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IF THE STUDENT'S INDIVIDUALIZED
EDUCATION PROGRAM PRESCRIBES  SPECIAL  EDUCATION,  TRANSITION  PLANNING,
TRANSITION  SERVICES,  OR  RELATED  SERVICES  BEYOND  THE STUDENT'S FOUR
ACADEMIC YEARS AFTER THE STUDENT'S ENTRY INTO HIGH SCHOOL.   THE  POLICY
AND  PROCEDURES SHALL PROVIDE ANNUAL WRITTEN NOTICE TO ALL STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES AND THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS ABOUT THE SCHOOL  DISTRICT'S
POLICY AND PROCEDURES ADOPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBDIVISION. NOTH-
ING  IN  THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL  COMPEL A STUDENT WITH DISABILITIES TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONY AND  ACTIVITIES.  THE
SUPERINTENDENT  SHALL  CONSIDER  THE  RECOMMENDATION,  IF  ANY,  OF  THE
STUDENT'S COMMITTEE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION AS WELL AS  THE  STUDENT'S  OWN
EXPRESSED PREFERENCE. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, A STUDENT'S HIGH
SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS SHALL BE THE TWELFTH GRADE CLASS WITH WHICH SUCH
STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY ENTERED INTO NINTH GRADE.
  S  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.

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

                                                           LBD15615-04-6

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