Assembly Bill A10791

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10791
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               July 10, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON  RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Fall) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT establishing the New York state school transition  reopening  and
   redesign  task  force; and providing for the repeal of such provisions
   upon the expiration thereof
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  New  York  state school transition reopening and redesign
 taskforce. The New York state school transition reopening  and  redesign
 taskforce  is  hereby  established  to  study  and  make recommendations
 concerning the reopening of New York schools during the novel  coronavi-
 rus  (COVID-19) state disaster emergency, as declared pursuant to execu-
 tive order number 202 of 2020.
   § 2. Such task force shall  be  comprised  of  school  administrators,
 teachers and agency commissioners or deputy commissioners and consist of
 twelve members appointed as follows:
   (a)  two  members  shall  be  appointed  by the governor; one of these
 members shall serve as chair of the task force;  and  the  other  member
 shall serve as vice chair of the task force;
   (b)  one  member  shall be appointed by the temporary president of the
 senate;
   (c) one member shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   (d) two members shall be appointed by the  New  York  State  Board  of
 Regents;
   (e) two members shall be appointed by the Commissioner of the New York
 State Education Department;
   (f) two members shall be appointed by the Commissioner of the New York
 State Department of Health;
   (g)  one member shall be appointed by the Commissioner of the New York
 State Office of Mental Health; and
   (h) one member shall be appointed by the Commissioner of  the  Depart-
 ment of Taxation and Finance.
   §  3.  All  appointments shall be made no later than the thirtieth day
 after the effective date of this section. Vacancies in the membership of

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16909-01-0

 A. 10791                            2
 
 the task force shall be filled in the same manner provided  for  by  the
 original  appointments. The task force shall organize as soon as practi-
 cable following the appointment of its members. The chair shall  appoint
 a secretary who shall not be a member of the task force.  The members of
 the task force shall receive no compensation for their services.
   §  4. (a) The task force shall study, evaluate and develop recommenda-
 tions relating to specific actionable measures that address the  follow-
 ing areas:
   (i)  the measures necessary to successfully implement a safe return to
 school for students,  faculty  and  administration  in  accordance  with
 guidelines promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control;
   (ii) safe transportation of students to and from school;
   (iii)  the  emotional and social components of education provided at a
 school's physical facility, through remote learning or a combination  of
 both;
   (iv) the impact of state and federal funding on school resources;
   (v) the impact on a school district's ability to provide students with
 meals at a school's physical facility or during remote learning; and
   (vi) any other issue the task force deems relevant.
   (b) The task force shall designate four regional committees to operate
 throughout  the  state. One such committee shall be located in and focus
 on the city of New York. Each committee shall  consist  of  six  members
 selected  by  the  task  force  chair  from local school administrators,
 teachers, certified school social workers and PTA presidents.
   § 5. The task force shall be entitled  to  request  and  receive,  and
 shall  utilize such facilities, resources and data of any court, depart-
 ment, division, board, bureau, commission or agency of the state or  any
 political  subdivision  thereof as it may reasonably request to properly
 carry out its powers and duties.
   § 6. In carrying out its functions, the task force  is  authorized  to
 conduct  public  hearings  around  the  state  to  foster discussions in
 accordance with article seven of the public  officers  law,  and  formal
 public  hearings to solicit input and recommendations from statewide and
 regional stakeholder interests.
   § 7. The task force shall report its findings and  recommendations  to
 the  governor,  the  speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the
 assembly, the temporary president of the senate and the minority  leader
 of the senate three months after the effective date of this act.
   §  8.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed sixty days after the  task  force  delivers  the  report
 described  in  section seven of this act to the governor, the speaker of
 the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly, the temporary  presi-
 dent of the senate and the minority leader of the senate.