S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8325
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BLUMENCRANZ -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in  relation  to  enacting  the  "our
   schools our rules act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "our schools our rules act".
   § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that local
 school  districts  in the state, particularly those on Long Island, have
 historically maintained high  standards  of  education  through  locally
 controlled governance and decision-making processes. The recent proposal
 by  the  education  department  and  the board of regents to mandate the
 development and implementation of regionalization plans, as outlined  in
 part  one  hundred  twenty-four of the commissioner of education's regu-
 lations, threatens to undermine local control,  dilute  the  quality  of
 education, and impose significant administrative burdens on local school
 districts.  The  intent of this act is to preserve the autonomy of local
 school districts by prohibiting any  state-mandated  regionalization  of
 local school districts.
   §  3.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 1527-b to
 read as follows:
   § 1527-B. MANDATORY  REGIONALIZATION  PLANS  PROHIBITED.  1.  FOR  THE
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SECTION,  THE  TERM "MANDATORY REGIONALIZATION PLAN"
 SHALL MEAN ANY RULE OR POLICY THAT REQUIRES THE  SHARING  OF  RESOURCES,
 ADMINISTRATIVE  OPERATIONS,  OR INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES AMONG TWO OR MORE
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE  EDUCATIONAL  SERVICES  (BOCES),
 CHARTER  SCHOOLS,  PRIVATE SCHOOLS, OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF, PURSUANT
 TO A REGULATION, ORDER, OR DIRECTIVE ISSUED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER,  THE
 DEPARTMENT, OR THE BOARD OF REGENTS.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01778-01-5
 A. 8325                             2
              

 
   2.  (A)  NO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL BE REQUIRED BY ANY REGULATION,
 RULE, OR POLICY OF THE COMMISSIONER, THE DEPARTMENT,  OR  THE  BOARD  OF
 REGENTS  TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, OR PARTICIPATE IN A MANDATORY REGIONALI-
 ZATION PLAN, INCLUDING BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  MANDATORY  REGIONALIZATION
 PLANS  RELATED  TO  SHARED RESOURCES, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, OR JOINT
 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.
   (B) THE DEPARTMENT AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL  NOT  ENACT,  IMPLE-
 MENT,  OR  ENFORCE  ANY  REGULATION, RULE, OR POLICY THAT REQUIRES LOCAL
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, OR PARTICIPATE  IN  A  MANDATORY
 REGIONALIZATION PLAN.
   3. ANY REGULATION ENACTED OR PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT RELATES
 TO  BOARDS  OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES (BOCES) AND REQUIRES THE
 DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONALIZATION PLANS BY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL  BE
 DEEMED  NULL AND VOID. THE DEPARTMENT AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL NOT
 MAKE ANY EFFORT TO IMPLEMENT ANY SUCH REGULATION.
   4. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS  FROM
 VOLUNTARILY  ENTERING  INTO AGREEMENTS OR PARTNERSHIPS RELATED TO SHARED
 SERVICES WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE  EDUCATIONAL
 SERVICES (BOCES), CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
   5.  LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL RETAIN FULL AUTONOMY OVER SUCH SCHOOL
 DISTRICT'S GOVERNANCE,  BUDGETING,  AND  OPERATIONAL  DECISIONS  WITHOUT
 INTERFERENCE BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.