Assembly Bill A1144

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1144
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, RAMOS, HEVESI, COOK, LUPARDO -- read once
   and referred to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to full day kindergarten
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section  1712  of  the  education  law  is
 amended to read as follows:
   1. The board of education of each school district [may] SHALL 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 THE TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY-SEVEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT SCHOOL YEAR AND THEREAFTER,  ALL
 SUCH KINDERGARTENS SHALL BE OPERATED ON A FULL-TIME BASIS.
   §  2.  Subdivision 1 of section 2514 of the education law, as added by
 chapter 762 of the laws of 1950, is amended to read as follows:
   1. The board of education of each city  school  district  [may]  SHALL
 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 THE TWO
 THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT SCHOOL YEAR AND  THERE-
 AFTER, ALL SUCH KINDERGARTENS SHALL BE OPERATED ON A FULL-TIME BASIS.
   §  3. Subdivision 1 of section 2555 of the education law, such section
 as renumbered by chapter 762 of the laws of 1950, is amended to read  as
 follows:
   1. The board of education of each city [may] SHALL maintain kindergar-
 tens  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 THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-
 SEVEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT SCHOOL YEAR AND  THEREAFTER,  ALL  SUCH
 KINDERGARTENS SHALL BE OPERATED ON A FULL-TIME BASIS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02307-01-5
 A. 1144                             2
              

 
   §  4.  The  opening  paragraph of subdivision 9 of section 3602 of the
 education law, as amended by section 9 of part A of chapter  57  of  the
 laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   School districts may make available full day kindergarten programs for
 all  children  wishing to attend such programs, AND, COMMENCING WITH THE
 TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT SCHOOL YEAR,  SHALL
 MAKE FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO ALL CHILDREN.
   §  5.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.