NY State Senate Bill 2025-S589

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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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2025	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8325
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §1527-b, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S9944

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "our school our rules act"; prohibits mandatory regionalization plans.

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S589

SPONSOR: MARTINS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "our
schools our rules act"

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation protects the autonomy of local school districts by
blocking any state-mandated regionalization policies or plans, as
proposed by the State Education Department and the Board of Regents,
that would require school districts to share resources, operations, or
services.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 stipulates that this act shall be entitled the "Our Schools,
Our Rules Act."

Section 2 Includes legislative findings and intent, outlining the impor-

tance of local control for maintaining high-quality education, partic-
ularly on Long Island, and the risks posed by state-mandated regionali-
zation policies.

Section 3 amends the education law by adding a new Section 1528, which:
defines a "regionalization plan" as any state-mandated policy requiring
school districts to share resources or administrative operations with
other districts or educational institutions; prohibited the Commissioner
of Education, the State Education Department, and the Board of Regents
from mandating regionalization plans; allows districts to voluntarily
enter shared agreements but ensures they are not state-mandated; nulli-
fies any existing regulations that mandate regionalization plans; and
protects local school districts' autonomy over governance, budgeting,
and operations.

Section 4 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Local school districts, especially on Long Island, have consistently
provided high-quality education through locally controlled governance.
The State Education Department's proposed regulations in Part 124,
mandating the development and implementation of regionalization plans,
pose significant threats to local control.  Forcing districts
to.consolidate operations or share resources undermines the unique
strengths and needs of individual communities, particularly those with
successful school systems. Regionalization may dilute the quality of
education by imposing onesize-fits-all mandates, disrupt established
district operations, and lead to higher administrative costs without
clear benefits to students or taxpayers.

Further, Long Island's taxpayers have invested heavily in their school
districts and deserve to have a say in how their schools are governed.
This legislation ensures that local schools retain their autonomy and
prevents any top-down mandates that could interfere with the quality of
education or the efficient operation of local school systems. Voluntary

co operation among districts may be encouraged, but only at the
discretion of the districts themselves.

This bill preserves the time-honored principle that local communities-
not bureaucrats in Albany-know best how to serve their students.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.9944; Referred to Rules

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None. This legislation ensures that school districts will not incur
additional administrative burdens or costs from state-mandated regional-
ization plans.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    589
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. MARTINS, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, MATTERA, RHOADS --
   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 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01778-01-5

 S. 589                              2
 
 TO  A  REGULATION,  ORDER,  OR DIRECTIVE ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER, THE
 DEPARTMENT, OR THE BOARD OF REGENTS.
   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.

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Senate Bill S589

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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co-Sponsors

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Jack M. Martins

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick

Mario R. Mattera

Steven D. Rhoads

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S589 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments