NY State Senate Bill S3477

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (2)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to education
Feb 07, 2019	referred to education

Co-Sponsors

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5338
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §803-b, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S7526, A9533
2021-2022: S1062

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires at least one full-time licensed or certified social worker to be employed in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high school and senior high school throughout the state.

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S3477

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
requiring a licensed or certified social worker in each elementary,
intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high school

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To ensure that all elementary, intermediate, middle, junior and senior
high schools throughout New York State have an effective social work
program in place to meet the needs of their students.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The Education Law is amended by adding a new section 803-B, to require
the board of trustees of every school district to employ at least one
licensed or certified social worker in each elementary, intermediate,
middle, junior high and senior high school under their jurisdiction.
This employment shall be exclusive of any social workers funded or
mandated through any special education funding, aid, regulation or stat-

ute.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The role and function of a licensed or certified school social worker
and the role and function of other pupil personnel services are
distinctly separate. In addition to possessing certification through the
Office of Teaching Initiatives, school social workers are licensed by
the New York State Board of Regents with a scope of practice legally
protected under Article 154 of the New York State Education Law.

Licensed and certified school social workers are at the forefront of
school social, behavioral, and community issues. The skills and compe-
tencies of these licensed and certified school social workers enable
schools to carry out their primary functions of educating all pupils
more effectively.

Reducing or eliminating the presence of social workers in our schools
would have a devastating effect on our students. Given the current
economic crisis and the resulting impact on families and children,
stress and worry has risen sharply due to loss of income, rising debt,
unemployment, underemployment, loss of insurance, housing instability,
hunger, and many other factors. These factors are known to contribute to
increased incidence of mental illness, substance abuse, suicide,
violence, crime, and in an academic environment, may be attributed to
increased absence and risk of school failure.  Licensed and certified
school social workers are qualified to address these factors. By apply-
ing appropriate intervention strategies, school social workers are able
to alleviate some of these issues and support academic success. Every
student in New York deserves equal access to services and every school
in New York should provide the important services social workers can
provide.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2018: S7526-A - Referred to Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                  3477

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 7, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- 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 requiring a licensed
  or certified social worker in each elementary,  intermediate,  middle,
  junior high and senior high school

  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 section  803-b
to read as follows:
  §  803-B. SOCIAL WORKERS LICENSED UNDER ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-FOUR
OF THIS CHAPTER OR CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  ESTAB-
LISHED  BY THE DEPARTMENT, REQUIRED IN ELEMENTARY, INTERMEDIATE, MIDDLE,
JUNIOR HIGH AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.  THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR TRUSTEES
OF EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE SHALL  ON  AND  AFTER  JULY
FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND NINETEEN EMPLOY AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO AT LEAST ONE
LICENSED OR CERTIFIED SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER IN EACH OF THE SCHOOLS  UNDER
THEIR  JURISDICTION  EXCLUSIVE  OF  ANY  SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS FUNDED OR
MANDATED THROUGH ANY SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING, AID, REGULATION OR STAT-
UTE.  SUCH LICENSED OR CERTIFIED SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER SHALL PERFORM SUCH
DUTIES WITHIN THEIR LAWFUL SCOPE OF PRACTICE.
  § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.




 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06390-01-9

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S3477

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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Co-Sponsors

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Details

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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senate Bill S3477

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Sponsored By

Andrew Gounardes

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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Actions

Co-Sponsors

Kevin S. Parker

Julia Salazar

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Details

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S3477 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments