NY State Senate Bill 2017-S6392

Senate Bill S6392

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Requires comprehensive training for school bus drivers and school bus attendants in the discouragement, prevention and detection of harassment, bullying and discrimination

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules 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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 20, 2018	committed to rules
Mar 13, 2018	advanced to third reading
Mar 12, 2018	2nd report cal.
Mar 06, 2018	1st report cal.579
Jan 03, 2018	referred to education
May 15, 2017	referred to education

Votes

- Mar 6, 2018 - Education Committee Vote
  S6392
  
  16
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  2
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Education Committee Vote: Mar 6, 2018
      
      aye (16)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Avella
      
      Breslin
      
      Brooks
      
      Gallivan
      
      Hamilton
      
      Lanza
      
      Little
      
      Marcellino
      
      Montgomery
      
      Peralta
      
      Ranzenhofer
      
      Robach
      
      Serino
      
      Serrano
      
      Stavisky
      
      aye wr (2)
      
      Croci
      
      Seward
      
      excused (1)
      
      LaValle

2017-S6392 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A4088
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3650, Ed L; amd §1229-d, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: A5687
2015-2016: A823
2019-2020: A656
2021-2022: A1350
2023-2024: A598

2017-S6392 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires comprehensive training at least one time per year for school bus drivers and school bus attendants in the discouragement, prevention and detection of harassment, bullying and discrimination.

2017-S6392 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6392

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the education law and the vehicle
and traffic law, in relation to requiring comprehensive training for
school bus drivers and school bus attendants in the discouragement,
prevention and detection of harassment, bullying and discrimination

 PURPOSE :

This bill requires the Commissioner of Education develop a training
program for bus drivers and bus attendants in the prevention of
bullying and what to do in the event of a bullying incident.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section one amends section 3650 of the education law by adding a new
subdivision 3.

Section two amends section 1229-d of the vehicle and traffic law by
adding a new subdivision 5.

Section three sets forth the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Much attention has been paid recently to the high incidences of

bullying and harassment within schools across the state. Numerous
initiatives have begun and attempts have been made to try to stem
these frequent occurrences. While these proposals have been well
received and bullying is slowly becoming less acceptable, the same
issues and bullying events continue to occur outside of school
completely unchecked.

In particular, the media has begun to highlight cases of bullying and
harassment on school buses. While some buses are equipped with
surveillance cameras, those who engage with threatening or bullying
behavior continue unfazed. Video was released in July 2012 of a
Virginia incident where a ten-year-old boy was physically and verbally
harassed, even screaming in pain as he was burned with a lighter, as
the bus driver simply continued on her route. Adults are victims as
well, as footage of a harassed bus monitor in Greece, NY, made
national headlines.

Bullying continues to be a devastating reality for thousands of New
Yorkers. This legislation would require the Commissioner of the
Department of Education to develop a training program for bus drivers
and bus monitors to teach them how to appropriately manage and respond
to a bullying incident.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

Undetermined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This bill shall take effect immediately.

2017-S6392 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6392
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law and the vehicle and  traffic  law,  in
   relation  to  requiring  comprehensive training for school bus drivers
   and school  bus  attendants  in  the  discouragement,  prevention  and
   detection of harassment, bullying and discrimination
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 3650 of the education law is amended  by  adding  a
 new subdivision 3 to read as follows:
   3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP A UNIFORM AND COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING
 PROGRAM  FOR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS TRANSPORTING STUDENTS TO AND FROM SCHOOL
 BY SCHOOL BUS  IN  THE  DISCOURAGEMENT,  PREVENTION,  AND  DETECTION  OF
 HARASSMENT,  BULLYING AND DISCRIMINATION AS DEFINED UNDER ARTICLE TWO OF
 THIS CHAPTER. SUCH TRAINING  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,
 INSTRUCTION CONCERNING THE EFFECTS OF HARASSMENT, BULLYING AND DISCRIMI-
 NATION  AND THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE WHEN A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER ENCOUNTERS
 SUCH SITUATION. THE TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION REQUIRED BY  THIS  SUBDIVI-
 SION MAY BE INCLUDED WITH THE TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION REQUIRED PURSUANT
 TO  PARAGRAPH  A  OF SUBDIVISION ONE AND SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION
 AND SHALL BE PROVIDED AT LEAST ONCE  PER  YEAR  OR  MORE  FREQUENTLY  AS
 DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE COMPREHEN-
 SIVE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER SAFETY TRAINING COUNCIL.
   §  2.  Section  1229-d  of  the  vehicle and traffic law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
   (5) THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL  PROMULGATE  RULES  AND  REGU-
 LATIONS  REQUIRING THAT EVERY SCHOOL BUS ATTENDANT SERVING PUPILS WITH A
 DISABLING CONDITION RECEIVE TRAINING AND  INSTRUCTION  RELATING  TO  THE
 DISCOURAGEMENT,  PREVENTION,  AND  DETECTION OF HARASSMENT, BULLYING AND
 DISCRIMINATION AS DEFINED UNDER ARTICLE TWO OF THE EDUCATION  LAW.  SUCH
 TRAINING  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, INSTRUCTION CONCERNING
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD04992-01-7

 S. 6392                             2
 
 THE EFFECTS OF HARASSMENT, BULLYING AND DISCRIMINATION AND THE APPROPRI-
 ATE RESPONSE WHEN A SCHOOL BUS ATTENDANT ENCOUNTERS SUCH SITUATION.  THE
 TRAINING  AND  INSTRUCTION  REQUIRED BY THIS SUBDIVISION MAY BE INCLUDED
 WITH  THE TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION AND
 SHALL BE PROVIDED AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR OR MORE  FREQUENTLY  AS  DETER-
 MINED  BY  THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE
 COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER SAFETY TRAINING COUNCIL.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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