Senate Bill S7355

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Relates to the enactment of the student journalist free speech act

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

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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2017-S7355 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 18 §§860 - 864, Ed L

2017-S7355 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the student journalist free speech act to protect student speech unless it is libelous, an invasion of privacy, or incites students to commit an unlawful act, violate school policies, or to materially and substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the school.

2017-S7355 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S7355 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7355
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  O'MARA -- 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 enacting  the  student
   journalist free speech act
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new article 18  to
 read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 18
                    STUDENT JOURNALIST FREE SPEECH ACT
 SECTION 860. SHORT TITLE.
         861. DEFINITIONS.
         862. STUDENT JOURNALIST FREE SPEECH RIGHTS.
         863. EXEMPTIONS.
         864. LIABILITY.
   §  860.  SHORT  TITLE. THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED AS
 THE "STUDENT JOURNALIST FREE SPEECH ACT".
   § 861. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF  THIS  ARTICLE  THE  FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1.  "SCHOOL OFFICIAL" MEANS A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OR THE DESIGNEE OF
 SUCH PRINCIPAL.
   2. "SCHOOL-SPONSORED MEDIA"  MEANS  ANY  MATERIAL  THAT  IS  PREPARED,
 SUBSTANTIALLY  WRITTEN,  PUBLISHED, OR BROADCAST BY A STUDENT JOURNALIST
 AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL, DISTRIBUTED OR GENERALLY MADE AVAILABLE  TO  MEMBERS
 OF THE STUDENT BODY, AND PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A STUDENT MEDIA
 ADVISOR.  THE  TERM  DOES NOT INCLUDE MEDIA INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION OR
 TRANSMISSION SOLELY IN THE CLASSROOM IN WHICH THE MEDIA IS PRODUCED.
   3. "STUDENT JOURNALIST" MEANS A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT  WHO  GATH-
 ERS, COMPILES, WRITES, EDITS, PHOTOGRAPHS, RECORDS, OR PREPARES INFORMA-
 TION FOR DISSEMINATION IN SCHOOL-SPONSORED MEDIA.
   4. "STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED, APPOINTED, OR
 DESIGNATED  BY  A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  TO SUPERVISE OR PROVIDE INSTRUCTION
 RELATING TO SCHOOL-SPONSORED MEDIA.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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