NY State Senate Bill S2670

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries 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 25, 2021	committee discharged and committed to libraries
Jan 22, 2021	referred to education

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Libraries
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §274-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S3024
2019-2020: S1227

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to maintaining school libraries in each elementary and secondary school in each school district and employing a certified school library media consultant.

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S2670

SPONSOR: RITCHIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to maintaining school
libraries

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure that each elementary and secondary school in New York State
maintains a school library and employs a certified school librarian.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill adds a new Section 274-a to the Education Law to require all
school districts to maintain a school library in each elementary and
secondary school and to employ a certified school library media special-
ist or duly licensed teacher of library for each such school library.

The bill also provides a waiver process that can be used by districts

that fall within a designated shortage area for library media special-
ists or by districts that have demonstrated that their needs can be met
through a sharing amendment with a public library.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

School libraries are an integral part of the educational program. They
support and complement all phases of the formal instructional program in
the various areas of the curriculum, and enrich each student's life. For
many, the school library is the first introduction the student has to
any library facility. Because of this unique aspect, the school library
will be the only place the student can learn the proper usage of a
library and its valuable resources.

An adequate, comprehensive school library program is essential in
providing quality education for all students in today's modern and
progressive society. The library, therefore, becomes that place where
the student can reinforce his language art and reading skills, become
aware of how to retrieve background reference materials for his everyday
life and school assignments, and learn to think and act as an independ-
ent individual to gain the necessary information to attain intellectual
maturity.

It is of utmost importance that competent professionally trained person-
nel who are certified or licensed in their area of responsibility staff
a school library. The librarian should be a professional trained to look
at and work for a total school program.  The librarian should be profes-
sionally astute to be able to select and acquire those materials that
will assist each student to reach out for his or her intellectual poten-
tial and to be able to achieve a wide, unencumbered view of the world
and how the student can best fit into it. Only a competent certified or
licensed librarian can add that dimension to a child's life.

If maintaining a school library would place an extreme financial burden
on a district, the waiver provision allows the district to explore
alternative ways to meet the needs of their students through a sharing
arrangement with a public library. The waiver process is also available
if there is a shortage locally of library media specialists.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-2020: 5.1227.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The first day of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have
become a law.

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2670
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 22, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- 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  maintaining  school
   libraries
 
   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  274-a
 to read as follows:
   §  274-A.  SCHOOL LIBRARIES. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF
 LAW TO THE CONTRARY AND SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION TWO  OF
 THIS  SECTION,  EACH  SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL MAINTAIN A SCHOOL LIBRARY IN
 EACH ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT, AND SHALL EMPLOY A
 CERTIFIED SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST FOR EACH SUCH SCHOOL  LIBRARY,
 IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  REGULATIONS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER, WITHIN
 THREE YEARS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   2. THE COMMISSIONER MAY, UPON APPLICATION BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT,  WAIVE
 THE  APPLICABILITY  OF THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION
 TO SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT UPON A DETERMINATION BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  THAT
 THE  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  IS  WITHIN A DESIGNATED SHORTAGE AREA FOR LIBRARY
 MEDIA SPECIALISTS OR THAT SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT'S  NEEDS  ARE  ADEQUATELY
 MET THROUGH A WRITTEN SHARING ARRANGEMENT WITH A PUBLIC LIBRARY AND SUCH
 ARRANGEMENT PROVIDES FOR ADEQUATE LIBRARY ACCESS.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06088-01-1

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S2670

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Details

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S2670

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Sponsored By

Patty Ritchie

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Libraries Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Details

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S2670 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments