S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6504
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 7, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. PHEFFER AMATO -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school session days
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Subdivision  8  of  section 3604 of the education law, as
 amended by chapter 260 of the laws  of  2012,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   8.  No  school  shall  be in session on a Saturday or a legal holiday,
 except general election day, Washington's birthday and Lincoln's  birth-
 day,  and  except  that  driver  education classes may be conducted on a
 Saturday. NO SCHOOL LOCATED IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF  ONE  MILLION
 OR  MORE SHALL BE IN SESSION ON THE DAY OF A PRIMARY ELECTION OR GENERAL
 ELECTION. A deficiency not exceeding four days during  any  school  year
 caused  by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by superintendents
 of schools of city school districts or other school districts  employing
 superintendents  of  schools  shall  be  excused  by  the  commissioner,
 notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the  contra-
 ry,  a school district may elect to schedule such conference days in the
 last two weeks of August, subject to collective bargaining  requirements
 pursuant  to  article  fourteen  of the civil service law, and such days
 shall be counted  towards  the  required  one  hundred  eighty  days  of
 session,  provided  however,  that  such  scheduling shall not alter the
 obligation of the school district to provide transportation to  students
 in  non-public  elementary and secondary schools or charter schools. The
 commissioner shall excuse a deficiency not exceeding  four  days  during
 such school year caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by
 such  superintendents,  provided  that at least two such conference days
 during such school year shall be  dedicated  to  staff  attendance  upon
 conferences  providing  staff  development relating to implementation of
 the new high learning standards and assessments, as adopted by the board
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD04250-02-7

 A. 6504                             2
 
 of regents. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,  rule  or  regu-
 lation to the contrary, school districts may elect to use one or more of
 such  allowable  conference days in units of not less than one hour each
 to  provide  staff  development activities relating to implementation of
 the new high learning standards and assessments. A district making  such
 election  may provide such staff development during the regularly sched-
 uled daily session and apply such units to satisfy a deficiency  in  the
 length of one or more daily sessions of instruction for pupils as speci-
 fied  in  regulations of the commissioner. The commissioner shall assure
 that such conference days include appropriate school violence prevention
 and intervention training, and may require that up to one  such  confer-
 ence day be dedicated for such purpose.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.