S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6204
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 10, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. RAMOS -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school district diver-
   sity officers
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section 2101 of the education law, as
 amended by chapter 107 of the laws  of  1976,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1. Each common school district shall have one or three trustees as the
 district  determines, a collector except in first class towns and except
 as may be otherwise provided by law, A DIVERSITY  OFFICER,  and  if  the
 district so decides a treasurer.
   §  2.  Section 2102 of the education law, as amended by chapter 737 of
 the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
   § 2102. Qualifications of officers.   Every  school  district  officer
 must  be  able  to  read  and write and must be a qualified voter of the
 district; and each member of a board of education of a union free school
 district, common school district or a central school district shall have
 been a resident of the school district, or in the case of a person qual-
 ified by subdivision three of section  twenty  hundred  twelve  of  this
 chapter  to  vote  in a district election, a resident of the district or
 reservation, for at least one year prior to the election.  Notwithstand-
 ing  the provisions of any other general or special law to the contrary,
 a school district treasurer, collector, DIVERSITY OFFICER or clerk  need
 not  be  a  resident  of the school district to hold such office in such
 district.
   § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 2103 of the education law is amended  to
 read as follows:
   1.  No district superintendent or supervisor is eligible to the office
 of trustee or member of a board of education, and no trustee  or  member
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD09161-03-1

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 of  a  board of education can hold the office of district clerk, collec-
 tor, DIVERSITY OFFICER, treasurer  or  librarian,  except  as  otherwise
 provided by section twenty-one hundred thirty.
   §  4.  Section  2103  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 5 to read as follows:
   5.  AN  ADMINISTRATIVE  EMPLOYEE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  SHALL  BE
 APPOINTED AS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIVERSITY OFFICER.
   § 5.  The part heading of part 2 of article 43 of the education law is
 amended to read as follows:
           DISTRICT CLERK; TREASURER; DIVERSITY OFFICER; COLLECTOR
   §  6.    The  education law is amended by adding a new section 2131 to
 read as follows:
   § 2131. DUTIES OF DIVERSITY OFFICER.   IT SHALL BE  THE  DUTY  OF  THE
 DIVERSITY OFFICER OF EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DEVELOP METHODS TO DIVERSI-
 FY  THE PERSONNEL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DIVERSIFY-
 ING TEACHING STAFF.  THE DIVERSITY OFFICER SHALL ANNUALLY REVIEW  RACIAL
 AND  ETHNIC  DISPARITIES  WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SHALL ENCOURAGE
 AND ASSIST IN THE RECRUITMENT AND  RETENTION  OF  A  MORE  RACIALLY  AND
 ETHNICALLY  DIVERSE  STAFF.    THE  DIVERSITY  OFFICER SHALL ALSO REVIEW
 SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICIES AND PRACTICES AND  RECOMMEND  CHANGES  TO  SUCH
 POLICIES AND PRACTICES TO REDUCE RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN HIRING
 SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, PARTICULARLY TEACHERS.  THE DIVERSITY OFFICER
 SHALL PUBLISH AN ANNUAL REPORT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PLANS, PROCESSES
 AND  PROGRESS  IN  HIRING  AND RETAINING EDUCATORS OF COLOR. SUCH REPORT
 SHALL BE PRESENTED TO THE LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION AND SHALL  BE  AVAIL-
 ABLE TO THE PUBLIC
   §  7.  Section  1709  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 44 to read as follows:
   44.  TO PREPARE A REPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTED TO
 THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE  DIVERSITY  OFFICER  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
 TWENTY-ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-ONE  OF  THIS  TITLE  RELATING TO THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICT'S PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND RETAINING  EDUCA-
 TORS OF COLOR AND TO SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   §  8.  Section  1804  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 13 to read as follows:
   13. THE BOARD SHALL PREPARE A REPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE ANNUAL  REPORT
 PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE DIVERSITY OFFICER PURSUANT TO
 SECTION  TWENTY-ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-ONE  OF  THIS TITLE RELATING TO THE
 SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND  RETAINING
 EDUCATORS OF COLOR AND TO SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   §  9.  Section  2503  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
   22. SHALL PREPARE A REPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE ANNUAL REPORT  PRESENTED
 TO  THE  BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE DIVERSITY OFFICER PURSUANT TO SECTION
 TWENTY-ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE OF  THIS  TITLE  RELATING  TO  THE  SCHOOL
 DISTRICT'S  PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND RETAINING EDUCA-
 TORS OF COLOR AND TO SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   § 10. Section 2554 of the education law is amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 29 to read as follows:
   29.  TO PREPARE A REPORT IN RESPONSE TO THE ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTED TO
 THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BY THE  DIVERSITY  OFFICER  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
 TWENTY-ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-ONE  OF  THIS  TITLE  RELATING TO THE SCHOOL
 DISTRICT'S PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND RETAINING  EDUCA-
 TORS OF COLOR AND TO SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   §  11.  Section  305  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 59 to read as follows:

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   59. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PREPARE  AN  ANNUAL  REPORT  BASED  ON  THE
 REPORTS  SUBMITTED  TO  THE  DEPARTMENT  BY LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION ON
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS' PLANS, PROCESSES AND PROGRESS IN HIRING AND  RETAINING
 EDUCATORS OF COLOR AND SHALL SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ANNU-
 ALLY.
   § 12. This act shall take effect immediately.