NY State Senate Bill 2019-S3925

Senate Bill S3925

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to directing the board of regents and the state education department to conduct a study on the readiness of children to start kindergarten and adjusting the age of mandatory attendance

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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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to education
Feb 21, 2019	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2019-S3925 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education
Versions Introduced in 2017-2018 Legislative Session:: S8413

2019-S3925 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to directing the board of regents and the state education department to conduct a study and make recommendations on the readiness of children to start kindergarten and adjusting the age of mandatory attendance from minors who become five years of age after the first of December to minors who become five years of age after the first of September.

2019-S3925 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S3925

SPONSOR: SEWARD
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act directing the board of regents and the state education department
to conduct a study and make recommendations on the readiness of children
to start kindergarten and adjusting the age of mandatory attendance

 
PURPOSE:

To undertake a study which would make recommendations about having one
statewide kindergarten entrance date of age five by September 1 in any
school year.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section One - The education law is amended to create a new section to
mandate that SED and board of regents conduct a study on the appropri-
ateness of creating a statewide kindergarten entrance age of age five by
September 1 of any school year.

Section Two - Requires that no later than one year after the effective
date of this act the board of regents and state education department
submit such study with recommendations to the governor and state legis-
lature.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The age for kindergarten entrance ages vary. In New York State, the law
currently states that the board of education of each school district may
maintain kindergartens, which shall be free to resident children between
the ages of four and six years; provided, however, such board may fix a
higher minimum age for admission to such kindergartens. In many New York
State regions, for a child to enter kindergarten most school districts
require that he or she must turn age five before December 1 of the
school year. A number of other states use September 1st with age five in
their laws for kindergarten attendance. The compulsory attendance law in
New York State requires that all children between the ages of six and
sixteen be provided with a program of instruction, at either a public
school or elsewhere.

A growing body of evidence suggests that delaying a child's kindergarten
starting age may be beneficial to the child's mental health. Some
studies suggest delaying kindergarten entry age may have a positive
effect on student academic achievement.

This bill would direct the NYS Board of Regents and the New York State
Education Department to conduct a study and make recommendations on the
readiness of children to start kindergarten and the appropriateness of
adjusting the age of mandatory attendance.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S. 8413 of 2017-2018, passed senate.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate

2019-S3925 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3925
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 21, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. SEWARD, TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT directing the board of regents and the state education department
   to conduct a study and make recommendations on the readiness of  chil-
   dren  to start kindergarten and adjusting the age of mandatory attend-
   ance
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The board of regents, in consultation with the state educa-
 tion  department,  shall study the readiness of children in the state to
 start kindergarten and investigate the appropriateness of adjusting  the
 age  of  required  attendance to start kindergarten in New York state to
 minors who become five years of age after the first of September in  any
 school year.
   §  2. No later than one year after the effective date of this act, the
 board of regents and the commissioner of education shall submit  to  the
 governor  and  the  legislature  a  report  on  the results of the study
 conducted pursuant to section one of this act.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09553-01-9

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Senate Bill S3925

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Sponsored By

James L. Seward