NY State Senate Bill 2023-S5453A

Senate Bill S5453A

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Directs a study on the feasibility of adjusting the compulsory attendance age of minors attending full time instruction

download bill text pdf

Current 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 03, 2024	referred to education
Dec 29, 2023	print number 5453a
Dec 29, 2023	amend (t) and recommit to education
Mar 06, 2023	referred to education

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2023-S5453 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3819
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education, Commissioner of
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S5863, A7559
2021-2022: S8227, A8875

2023-S5453 - Summary

Directs a study on the feasibility of adjusting the compulsory attendance age of minors attending full time instruction; requires report and recommendations on or before July 1, 2025.

2023-S5453 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5453

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to directing a study on
the feasibility of adjusting the compulsory attendance age of minors
attending full time instruction

 
PURPOSE:

Directs a study on the feasibility of adjusting the compulsory attend-
ance age of minors attending full-time instruction

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new subdivision 60 to Section 305 of Education Law that
directs the commissioner of the state department of education to conduct
a study regarding the feasibility of adjusting the compulsory attendance
age for instruction.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Children who are four when they begin Kindergarten are often too young
developmentally for a kindergarten education program and struggle
academically as a result. The negative impact of having a poor start to
their education may be long lasting and can affect their future academic
progress.

This legislation requires the commissioner of the New York State Educa-
tion Department to study the feasibility of adjusting the age a minor is
required to be in order to begin attending school. In New York State,
children are not required by law to attend school until age six and
currently must turn six before December 1st.  Though New York State law
states that children must begin school by age six, most school districts
provide a kindergarten program to five year-olds or children about to
turn five. Many children who turn five after September 1st are not as
ready for school developmentally, as compared to children who turn five
before September 1st and, as a result, suffer long-term educational
challenges.

Studying the ability of the state to shift the age requirements will
help state education officials anticipate the needs and challenges of
bringing starting ages in line with our present understanding of educa-
tional development.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: S.8227 - Referred to Education/A.8875 - Referred to Education

2019-2020: S.5863-A - vetoed by the Governor/A.7559-A - vetoed by the
Governor

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S5453 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5453
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- 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 directing a  study  on
   the  feasibility  of adjusting the compulsory attendance age of minors
   attending full time instruction

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 60 to read as follows:
   60. ON OR BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR, THE COMMISSION-
 ER  SHALL CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF ADJUSTING THE COMPULSORY
 ATTENDANCE AGE FOR WHEN MINORS SHALL ATTEND FULL  TIME  INSTRUCTION  AND
 DELIVER A REPORT OF THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON SUCH FIND-
 INGS  TO  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE
 SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONSULT WITH  EDUCATORS,
 PARENTS,  AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO CONDUCT A STUDY WHICH SHALL INCLUDE,
 BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A) THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL,  AND  EDUCATIONAL  APPROPRIATENESS  OF  THE
 STATE'S COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AGE FOR WHEN MINORS SHALL ATTEND FULL TIME
 INSTRUCTION;
   (B)  THE  APPROPRIATENESS  AND  FEASIBILITY  OF  ADJUSTING  THE AGE OF
 REQUIRED ATTENDANCE TO START SCHOOL IN NEW  YORK  STATE  TO  MINORS  WHO
 BECOME  FIVE  YEARS  OF  AGE  AFTER THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER IN ANY SCHOOL
 YEAR; AND
   (C) THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND  SERVICES  AVAILABLE  TO  MINORS  WHO
 WOULD OTHERWISE BE ENROLLED IN PREKINDERGARTEN PURSUANT TO AN ADJUSTMENT
 IN THE STATE'S COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AGE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04388-01-3

2023-S5453A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3819
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education, Commissioner of
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S5863, A7559
2021-2022: S8227, A8875

2023-S5453A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs a study on the feasibility of adjusting the compulsory attendance age of minors attending full time instruction; requires report and recommendations on or before July 1, 2025.

2023-S5453A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5453A

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act directing a study on the feasibility of adjusting the compulsory
attendance age of minors attending full time instruction; and providing
for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to examine the feasibility of changing the
age in which children are required to start attending school full time.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 requires the Commissioner of Education to conduct the study on
adjusting the compulsory attendance age for when a child must attend
full time instruction and deliver a report of the findings and recommen-
dations to the Governor, Temporary President of the Senate and Speaker
of the Assembly on or before July 1, 2025. The Commissioner must consult
with educators, parents, and other stakeholders when conducting such

study.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Children who are four when they begin kindergarten are often develop-
mentally too young for a kindergarten education program and, as a
result, struggle academically. The negative impact of having a poor
start to their education may be long lasting and can affect their future
academic progress.

Under New York State law, a child who becomes six years old on or before
the December 1st must attend full-time instruction. Though New York
State law states that children must begin school by age six, most school
districts provide a kindergarten program to children who are five-years
old or about to turn five-years old. Many children who turn five after
September 1st are not as developmentally ready for school compared to
children who turn five before September 1St and as a result, suffer long
term educational challenges.  This legislation requires the Commissioner
of Education to conduct a study on the feasibility of adjusting the
compulsory age of attendance.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: S.8227 - Referred to Education/A.8875 (Fahy) - Referred to
Education

2019-2020: S.5863-A - vetoed by the Governor/A.7559-A (Fahy) - vetoed by
the Governor

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed repealed on
December 31, 2025.

2023-S5453A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5453--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Education  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN  ACT directing a study on the feasibility of adjusting the compulsory
   attendance age of minors attending full time instruction; and  provid-
   ing 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. The commissioner of education shall conduct a study on  the
 feasibility  of  adjusting the compulsory attendance age for when minors
 shall attend full time instruction and deliver a report of the  findings
 and  recommendations  based on such findings to the governor, the tempo-
 rary president of the senate, and the speaker  of  the  assembly  on  or
 before July first, two thousand twenty-five.  The commissioner of educa-
 tion  shall  consult  with educators, parents, and other stakeholders to
 conduct a study which shall include, but not be limited to:
   (a) the social, emotional,  and  educational  appropriateness  of  the
 state's compulsory attendance age for when minors shall attend full time
 instruction;
   (b)  the  appropriateness  and  feasibility  of  adjusting  the age of
 required attendance to start school in New  York  state  to  minors  who
 become  five  years  of  age  after the first of September in any school
 year; and
   (c) the educational programs and  services  available  to  minors  who
 would otherwise be enrolled in prekindergarten pursuant to an adjustment
 in the state's compulsory attendance age.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed December 31, 2025.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04388-03-3

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