NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7719A

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
Jun 09, 2025	print number 7719a
Jun 09, 2025	amend and recommit to education
May 01, 2025	referred to education

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

co-Sponsors

2025-S7719 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7977
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§11 - 15, Ed L

2025-S7719 - Summary

Strengthens protections against discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on actual or perceived immigration status, and to improve implementation and oversight under the Dignity for All Students Act.

2025-S7719 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7719

SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to strengthening
protections against discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on
actual or perceived immigration status, and to improve implementation
and oversight under the Dignity for All Students Act

 
PURPOSE:

To explicitly add immigration status as a protected category under the
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), and to improve how schools report,
respond to, and prevent harassment, bullying, and discrimination. This
bill ensures that immigrant students and students from mixed-status
families are fully protected from discrimination, harassment, and bully-
ing in New York State schools.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Establishes the short title of the bill as the "End Bullying

and Discrimination in Schools Everywhere" (BEACON) Act.

Section 2: Adds a new Education Law § 9-a stating legislative findings
that highlight inconsistent DASA implementation, and the heightened
risks faced by immigrant and mixed-status students.

Section 3: Amends Education Law § 10 to explicitly include immigration
status and the immigration status of a student's family members as part
of the prohibited conduct addressed under DASA.

Section 4: Amends Education Law § 11 by adding a new subdivision defin-
ing "immigration status," including undocumented and mixed-status family
scenarios.

Section 5: Amends Education Law § 11(7) to add immigration status to the
list of characteristics protected from harassment and bullying under
DASA's definitions.

Section 6: Amends Education Law § 12(1) to prohibit discrimination,
harassment, and bullying based on actual or perceived immigration status
on school property or at school functions.

Section 7: Amends Education Law § 13(3) to require that school personnel
be trained in human relations concerning immigration status and expands
nondiscriminatory instructional and counseling guidelines.

Section 8: Adds a new subdivision § 13(6) requiring each school district
to designate a DASA compliance coordinator or team, review disaggregated
data by protected class including immigration status, and report find-
ings annually to the board of education.

Section 9: Amends Education Law § 14 to add a new subdivision § 14(6),
requiring the Commissioner of Education to develop and disseminate guid-
ance for schools on addressing bullying and discrimination based on
immigration status, including digital harassment and the needs of mixed-
status families.

Section 10: Amends Education Law § 15 to require annual reporting of
material incidents of bullying and discrimination disaggregated by
protected class, including immigration status, and to make such data
publicly available while protecting student privacy.

Section 11: This act shall take effect on the first of July next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) was enacted to protect every
student from harassment, discrimination, and bullying in New York's
public schools. But by failing to explicitly include immigration status
as a protected category, the, law has left a serious and harmful gap.
While "national origin" is listed, that language is too narrow to
capture the reality faced by thousands of students whose immigration
status or that of their family members-subjects them to constant fear,
stigma, and vulnerability. This legal omission weakens enforcement,
leads to inconsistent protections across school districts, and leaves
immigrant students and those from mixed-status families unprotected in
the face of real and rising threats.

Students from immigrant households are frequently targeted with anti-im-
migrant slurs, threats.of deportation, and dehumanizing rhetoric, both
in person and online. These students endure a unique and deeply personal
kind of harassment, often tied directly to their family's right to exist
in this country. A 2024 New York City Department of Education survey
found that 51 percent of students experienced harassment or bullying,
many linked to immigration-related bias. These hostile environments fuel
emotional trauma, academic disengagement, chronic absenteeism, and fear
that extends well beyond the school day. Nationwide research has
confirmed that heightened immigration enforcement correlates with lower
school attendance and worsening mental health outcomes among immigrant
youth.

The BEACON Act directly addresses this crisis with urgent, meaningful
reforms. It explicitly adds immigration status to DASA's list of
protected categories, ensuring that immigrant and mixed-status students
are clearly and fully covered by the law. It strengthens implementation
by requiring districts to collect and report disaggregated incident
data, assign DASA compliance coordinators, and take concrete steps to
create safer, more inclusive environments. It also directs the Commis-
sioner of Education to develop targeted guidance to help schools recog-
nize and respond to immigration-based harassment, including online
threats and abuse.

Other states, including California, have already acted to close this
loophole. The BEACON Act ensures that New York not only catches upLbut
leads. This legislation transforms DASA from a broad promise into a
working safeguard for one of the most at-risk student populations in our
schools. No child in New York should fear walking into a classroom
because of who they are or where their family comes from. The BEACON Act
affirms that safety, dignity, and opportunity are not privileges-they
are rights.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

Minimal. School districts are already required to comply with DASA
training, reporting, and policy implementation requirements. The BEACON
Act builds on this existing framework by clarifying that immigration
status is a protected category and ensuring more consistent enforcement
across districts. The requirements for disaggregated data collection,
designation of a DASA compliance coordinator, and annual reporting can
be incorporated into current administrative procedures with limited
additional cost. The New York State Education Department may incur minor
expenses in developing guidance and model policies, but these are
expected to be absorbed within existing resources.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The act takes effect on July 1 following the date it becomes law.  Agen-
cies may begin creating or updating any necessary rules or regulations
right away and can complete that work before the effective date.

2025-S7719 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7719
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 1, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- 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 strengthening
   protections against discrimination, harassment, and bullying based  on
   actual  or perceived immigration status, and to improve implementation
   and oversight under the Dignity for All Students 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 "End Bullying and  Discrimination  in  Schools  Everywhere  (BEACON)
 Act".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 10-a to read
 as follows:
   §  10-A. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.  THE LEGISLATURE FINDS THAT DESPITE THE
 CLEAR STATUTORY MANDATES OF THE DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT,  IMPLEMEN-
 TATION ACROSS SCHOOL DISTRICTS REMAINS INCONSISTENT. STUDENTS FROM IMMI-
 GRANT  AND  MIXED-STATUS  FAMILIES ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO BULLYING
 AND HARASSMENT AND FREQUENTLY LACK MEANINGFUL RECOURSE. THIS LEGISLATION
 IS INTENDED NOT ONLY TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS  TO  THESE  STUDENTS  BUT  TO
 ENHANCE  THE  OVERSIGHT,  TRANSPARENCY,  AND ACCOUNTABILITY NECESSARY TO
 FULLY REALIZE THE PROMISE OF THE DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT.
   § 3. Section 10 of the education law, as added by chapter 482  of  the
 laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
   § 10. Legislative intent. The legislature finds that students' ability
 to  learn and to meet high academic standards, and a school's ability to
 educate its students, are compromised by incidents of discrimination  or
 harassment  including  bullying,  taunting or intimidation. It is hereby
 declared to be the policy of the state to afford all students in  public
 schools  an  environment  free  of  discrimination  and  harassment. The
 purpose of this article is to foster civility in public schools  and  to
 prevent  and  prohibit  conduct  which  is  inconsistent with a school's
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11605-02-5

 S. 7719                             2
 
 educational mission. SUCH PROHIBITED CONDUCT SHALL INCLUDE ACTS BASED ON
 A STUDENT'S ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED IMMIGRATION STATUS  OR  THE  IMMIGRATION
 STATUSES OF A STUDENT'S FAMILY MEMBERS.
   §  4.  Section  11  of  the  education law, is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 11 to read as follows:
   11. "IMMIGRATION STATUS" SHALL MEAN A  PERSON'S  ACTUAL  OR  PERCEIVED
 CITIZENSHIP  OR  RESIDENCY  STATUS,  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO UNITED
 STATES  CITIZENSHIP,  LAWFUL  PERMANENT  RESIDENCY,  REFUGEE  OR  ASYLUM
 STATUS,  TEMPORARY  PROTECTED  STATUS,  DEFERRED  ACTION  FOR  CHILDHOOD
 ARRIVALS (DACA) STATUS,  OR  LACK  OF  LAWFUL  IMMIGRATION  STATUS.  FOR
 PURPOSES  OF THIS ARTICLE, PROTECTIONS BASED ON IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL
 ALSO EXTEND TO STUDENTS FROM MIXED-STATUS FAMILIES, MEANING FAMILIES  IN
 WHICH ONE OR MORE MEMBERS HAVE DIFFERENT IMMIGRATION STATUSES, INCLUDING
 UNDOCUMENTED OR NONCITIZEN STATUSES.
   §  5.  Subdivision 7 of section 11 of the education law, as amended by
 chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   7. "Harassment" and "bullying" shall mean the creation  of  a  hostile
 environment  by  conduct or by threats, intimidation or abuse, including
 cyberbullying, that (a) has or would have the effect of unreasonably and
 substantially interfering  with  a  student's  educational  performance,
 opportunities  or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being;
 or (b) reasonably causes or would reasonably  be  expected  to  cause  a
 student  to  fear for [his or her] THEIR physical safety; or (c) reason-
 ably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause physical injury  or
 emotional  harm  to  a  student;  or  (d) occurs off school property and
 creates or would foreseeably create a  risk  of  substantial  disruption
 within the school environment, where it is foreseeable that the conduct,
 threats,  intimidation  or  abuse  might  reach school property. Acts of
 harassment and bullying shall include, but not be limited to, those acts
 based on a person's actual or perceived race,  color,  weight,  national
 origin,  ethnic group, IMMIGRATION STATUS, religion, religious practice,
 disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex. For the purposes of  this
 definition  the  term  "threats,  intimidation  or  abuse" shall include
 verbal and non-verbal actions.
   § 6. Subdivision 1 of section 12 of the education law, as  amended  by
 chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  No student shall be subjected to harassment or bullying by employ-
 ees or students on school property or at a school  function;  nor  shall
 any student be subjected to discrimination based on a person's actual or
 perceived  race,  color,  weight,  national  origin, ethnic group, IMMI-
 GRATION STATUS, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual  orien-
 tation, gender, or sex by school employees or students on school proper-
 ty  or  at  a  school  function.  Nothing  in  this subdivision shall be
 construed to prohibit a denial of admission into, or exclusion  from,  a
 course of instruction based on a person's gender that would be permissi-
 ble  under section thirty-two hundred one-a or paragraph (a) of subdivi-
 sion two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty-four of this chapter  and
 title  IX  of  the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. section 1681,
 et. seq.), or  to  prohibit,  as  discrimination  based  on  disability,
 actions  that  would  be  permissible under section 504 of the Rehabili-
 tation Act of 1973.
   § 7. Subdivision 3 of section 13 of the education law, as  amended  by
 chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   3.   Guidelines  relating  to  the  development  of  nondiscriminatory
 instructional and counseling methods, and requiring that  at  least  one
 staff  member  at  every  school  be  thoroughly trained to handle human
 S. 7719                             3
 
 relations in the areas of race, color, weight, national  origin,  ethnic
 group,  IMMIGRATION  STATUS,  religion,  religious practice, disability,
 sexual orientation, gender, and sex; and
   § 8. Section 13 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdi-
 vision 6 to read as follows:
   6. EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL DESIGNATE A DIGNITY ACT COMPLIANCE COOR-
 DINATOR OR TEAM RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES REQUIRED UNDER THIS ARTICLE. SUCH COORDINATOR OR
 TEAM  SHALL  MONITOR,  AND  REVIEW  REPORTS OF HARASSMENT, BULLYING, AND
 DISCRIMINATION DISAGGREGATED BY PROTECTED CLASS,  INCLUDING  IMMIGRATION
 STATUS,  AND  SHALL REPORT SUCH FINDINGS ANNUALLY TO THE BOARD OF EDUCA-
 TION. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE DATA, SUMMARIES OF  RESPONSIVE  ACTIONS,
 AND ANY RELEVANT POLICY UPDATES.
   § 9. Section 14 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdi-
 vision 6 to read as follows:
   6.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  DEVELOP  AND  MAKE  AVAILABLE  TO SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS GUIDANCE ON PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO HARASSMENT,  BULLYING
 AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON IMMIGRATION STATUS, INCLUDING SPECIFIC GUID-
 ANCE ON ADDRESSING CYBERBULLYING INCIDENTS TARGETING IMMIGRANT STUDENTS.
 SUCH  GUIDANCE  SHALL  INCLUDE  MODEL  POLICIES  FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO
 INCORPORATE INTO THEIR CODES OF CONDUCT AND BEST PRACTICES FOR  TRAINING
 SCHOOL  PERSONNEL  AND  EDUCATING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ON THE RIGHTS OF
 STUDENTS UNDER THIS ARTICLE. THIS GUIDANCE SHALL FURTHER  RECOGNIZE  THE
 UNIQUE VULNERABILITIES OF STUDENTS FROM MIXED-STATUS FAMILIES.
   §  10.  Section  15 of the education law, as amended by chapter 102 of
 the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   § 15. Reporting by  commissioner.  The  commissioner  shall  create  a
 procedure  under  which  material  incidents of harassment, bullying and
 discrimination on school grounds or at a school function are reported to
 the department at least on an annual basis. Such procedure shall provide
 that such reports shall, wherever possible, also delineate the  specific
 nature  of  such  incidents  of harassment, bullying and discrimination,
 [provided that the] DISAGGREGATED BY PROTECTED CATEGORY, INCLUDING IMMI-
 GRATION STATUS, AND  SHALL  BE  MADE  PUBLICLY  AVAILABLE  IN  A  MANNER
 CONSISTENT WITH STUDENT PRIVACY PROTECTIONS. THE commissioner may comply
 with  the  requirements  of  this  section  through  use of the existing
 uniform violent incident reporting system. In  addition  the  department
 may  conduct  research  or  undertake  studies  to  determine compliance
 throughout the state with the provisions of this article.
   § 11. This act shall take effect on the first of July next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

co-Sponsors

2025-S7719A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7977
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§11 - 15, Ed L

2025-S7719A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7719A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7719A

SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to strengthening
protections against discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on
actual or perceived immigration status, and to improve implementation
and oversight under the Dignity for All Students Act

 
PURPOSE:

To explicitly add immigration status as a protected category under the
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), and to improve how schools report,
respond to, and prevent harassment, bullying, and discrimination. This
bill ensures that immigrant students and students from mixed-status
families are fully protected from discrimination, harassment, and bully-
ing in New York State schools.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Establishes the short title of the bill as the "End Bullying

and Discrimination in Schools Everywhere" (BEACON) Act.

Section 2: Adds a new Education Law § 9-a stating legislative findings
that highlight inconsistent DASA implementation, and the heightened
risks faced by immigrant and mixed-status students.

Section 3: Amends Education Law § 10 to explicitly include immigration
status òand the immigration status of a student's family members as part
of the prohibited conduct addressed under DASA.

Section 4: Amends Education Law § 11 by adding a new subdivision defin-
ing "immigration status," including undocumented and mixed-status family
scenarios.

Section 5: Amends Education Law § 11(7) to add immigration status to the
list of characteristics protected from harassment and bullying under
DASA's definitions.

Section 6: Amends Education Law § 12(1) to prohibit discrimination,
harassment, and bullying based on actual or perceived immigration status
on school property or at school functions.

Section 7: Amends Education Law § 13(3) to require that school personnel
be trained in human relations concerning immigration status and expands
nondiscriminatory instructional and counseling guidelines.

Section 8: Adds a new subdivision § 13(6) requiring each school district
to designate a DASA compliance coordinator or team, review disaggregated
data by protected class including immigration status, and report find-
ings annually to the board of education.

Section 9: Amends Education Law § 14 to add a new subdivision § 14(6),
requiring the Commissioner of Education to develop and disseminate guid-
ance for schools on addressing bullying and discrimination based on
immigration status, including digital harassment and the needs of mixed-
status families.

Section 10: Amends Education Law § 15 to require annual reporting of
material incidents of bullying and discrimination disaggregated by
protected class, including immigration status, and to make such data
publicly available while protecting student privacy.

Section 11: This act shall take effect on the first of July next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) was enacted to protect every
student from harassment, discrimination, and bullying in New York's
public schools. But by failing to explicitly include immigration status
as a protected category, the law has left a serious and harmful gap.
While "national origin" is listed, that language is too narrow to
capture the reality faced by thousands of students whose immigration
status or that of their family members-subjects them to constant fear,
stigma, and vulnerability. This legal omission weakens enforcement,
leads to inconsistent protections across school districts, and leaves
immigrant students and those from mixed-status families unprotected in
the face of real and rising threats.

Students from immigrant households are frequently targeted with anti-im-
migrant slurs, threats of deportation, and dehumanizing rhetoric, both
in person and online. These students endure a unique and deeply personal
kind of harassment, often tied directly to their family's right to exist
in this country. A 2024 New York City Department of Education survey
found that 51 percent of students experienced harassment or bullying,
many linked to immigration-related bias. These hostile environments fuel
emotional trauma, academic disengagement, chronic absenteeism, and fear
that extends well beyond the school day. Nationwide research has
confirmed that heightened immigration enforcement correlates with lower
school attendance and worsening mental health outcomes among immigrant
youth.

The BEACON Act directly addresses this crisis with urgent, meaningful
reforms. It explicitly adds immigration status to DASA's list of
protected categories, ensuring that immigrant and mixed-status students
are clearly and fully covered by the law. It strengthens implementation
by requiring districts to collect and report disaggregated incident
data, assign DASA compliance coordinators, and take concrete steps to
create safer, more inclusive environments. It also directs the Commis-
sioner of Education to develop targeted guidance to help schools recog-
nize and respond to immigration-based harassment, including online
threats and abuse.

Other states, including California, have already acted to close this
loophole. The BEACON Act ensures that New York not only catches up-but
leads. This legislation transforms DASA from a broad promise into a
working safeguard for one of the most at-risk student populations in our
schools. No child in New York should fear walking into a classroom
because of who they are or where their family comes from. The BEACON Act
affirms that safety, dignity, and opportunity are not privileges-they
are rights.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

Minimal. School districts are already required to comply with DASA
training, reporting, and policy implementation requirements. The BEACON
Act builds on this existing framework by clarifying that immigration
status is a protected category and ensuring more consistent enforcement
across districts. The requirements for disaggregated data collection,
designation of a DASA compliance coordinator, and annual reporting can
be incorporated into current administrative procedures with limited
additional cost. The New York State Education Department may incur minor
expenses in developing guidance and model policies, but these are
expected to be absorbed within existing resources.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The act takes effect on July 1 following the date it becomes law.  Agen-
cies may begin creating or updating any necessary rules or regulations
right away and can complete that work before the effective date.

2025-S7719A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7719--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 1, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. SEPULVEDA, JACKSON -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, 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  to  amend  the  education  law,  in  relation  to  strengthening
   protections  against discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on
   actual or perceived immigration status, and to improve  implementation
   and oversight under the Dignity for All Students 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  "End  Bullying  and  Discrimination  in Schools Everywhere (BEACON)
 Act".
   § 2. Section 11 of the education law,  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 11 to read as follows:
   11.  "IMMIGRATION  STATUS"  SHALL  MEAN A PERSON'S ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED
 CITIZENSHIP OR RESIDENCY STATUS, INCLUDING BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  UNITED
 STATES  CITIZENSHIP,  LAWFUL  PERMANENT  RESIDENCY,  REFUGEE  OR  ASYLUM
 STATUS,  TEMPORARY  PROTECTED  STATUS,  DEFERRED  ACTION  FOR  CHILDHOOD
 ARRIVALS  (DACA)  STATUS,  OR  LACK  OF  LAWFUL  IMMIGRATION STATUS. FOR
 PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, PROTECTIONS BASED ON IMMIGRATION STATUS  SHALL
 ALSO  EXTEND TO STUDENTS FROM MIXED-STATUS FAMILIES, MEANING FAMILIES IN
 WHICH ONE OR MORE MEMBERS HAVE DIFFERENT IMMIGRATION STATUSES, INCLUDING
 UNDOCUMENTED OR NONCITIZEN STATUSES.
   § 3. Subdivision 7 of section 11 of the education law, as  amended  by
 chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   7.  "Harassment"  and  "bullying" shall mean the creation of a hostile
 environment by conduct or by threats, intimidation or  abuse,  including
 cyberbullying, that (a) has or would have the effect of unreasonably and
 substantially  interfering  with  a  student's  educational performance,
 opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical  well-being;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11605-04-5

 S. 7719--A                          2
 
 or  (b)  reasonably  causes  or  would reasonably be expected to cause a
 student to fear for [his or her] THEIR physical safety; or  (c)  reason-
 ably  causes or would reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or
 emotional  harm  to  a  student;  or  (d) occurs off school property and
 creates or would foreseeably create a  risk  of  substantial  disruption
 within the school environment, where it is foreseeable that the conduct,
 threats,  intimidation  or  abuse  might  reach school property. Acts of
 harassment and bullying shall include, but not be limited to, those acts
 based on a person's actual or perceived race,  color,  weight,  national
 origin,  ethnic group, IMMIGRATION STATUS, religion, religious practice,
 disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex. For the purposes of  this
 definition  the  term  "threats,  intimidation  or  abuse" shall include
 verbal and non-verbal actions.
   § 4. Subdivision 1 of section 12 of the education law, as  amended  by
 chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  No student shall be subjected to harassment or bullying by employ-
 ees or students on school property or at a school  function;  nor  shall
 any student be subjected to discrimination based on a person's actual or
 perceived  race,  color,  weight,  national  origin, ethnic group, IMMI-
 GRATION STATUS, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual  orien-
 tation, gender, or sex by school employees or students on school proper-
 ty  or  at  a  school  function.  Nothing  in  this subdivision shall be
 construed to prohibit a denial of admission into, or exclusion  from,  a
 course of instruction based on a person's gender that would be permissi-
 ble  under section thirty-two hundred one-a or paragraph (a) of subdivi-
 sion two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty-four of this chapter  and
 title  IX  of  the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. section 1681,
 et. seq.), or  to  prohibit,  as  discrimination  based  on  disability,
 actions  that  would  be  permissible under section 504 of the Rehabili-
 tation Act of 1973.
   § 5. Subdivision 3 of section 13 of the education law, as  amended  by
 chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   3.   Guidelines  relating  to  the  development  of  nondiscriminatory
 instructional and counseling methods, and requiring that  at  least  one
 staff  member  at  every  school  be  thoroughly trained to handle human
 relations in the areas of race, color, weight, national  origin,  ethnic
 group,  IMMIGRATION  STATUS,  religion,  religious practice, disability,
 sexual orientation, gender, and sex; and
   § 6. Section 13 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdi-
 vision 6 to read as follows:
   6. EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL ENSURE THAT EVERY SCHOOL BUILDING DESIG-
 NATES AT LEAST ONE DIGNITY ACT COORDINATOR  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  SUPPORTING
 IMPLEMENTATION  OF THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES REQUIRED UNDER THIS ARTI-
 CLE. THE DIGNITY ACT COORDINATOR SHALL SERVE AS A POINT OF  CONTACT  FOR
 STUDENTS,  FAMILIES, AND STAFF REGARDING INCIDENTS OF HARASSMENT, BULLY-
 ING, AND DISCRIMINATION. THE INDIVIDUAL  DESIGNATED  SHALL  NOT  BE  THE
 SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, HEADMASTER, OR ANY OTHER ADMINISTRATOR OR STAFF MEMBER
 WHOSE  PRIMARY  DUTIES  INCLUDE STUDENT DISCIPLINE. SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY
 ADDITIONALLY DESIGNATE A DISTRICTWIDE COMPLIANCE COORDINATOR OR TEAM  TO
 OVERSEE  IMPLEMENTATION,  PROVIDE  TRAINING,  AND  MONITOR TRENDS ACROSS
 SCHOOLS.
   § 7. Section 14 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdi-
 vision 6 to read as follows:
   6. THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  DEVELOP  AND  MAKE  AVAILABLE  TO  SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS  GUIDANCE ON PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO HARASSMENT, BULLYING
 AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON IMMIGRATION STATUS, INCLUDING SPECIFIC GUID-
 S. 7719--A                          3
 
 ANCE ON ADDRESSING CYBERBULLYING INCIDENTS TARGETING IMMIGRANT STUDENTS.
 SUCH GUIDANCE SHALL INCLUDE  MODEL  POLICIES  FOR  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  TO
 INCORPORATE  INTO THEIR CODES OF CONDUCT AND BEST PRACTICES FOR TRAINING
 SCHOOL  PERSONNEL  AND  EDUCATING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ON THE RIGHTS OF
 STUDENTS UNDER THIS ARTICLE. THIS GUIDANCE SHALL FURTHER  RECOGNIZE  THE
 UNIQUE VULNERABILITIES OF STUDENTS FROM MIXED-STATUS FAMILIES.
   § 8. Section 15 of the education law, as amended by chapter 102 of the
 laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
   §  15.  Reporting  by  commissioner.  The  commissioner shall create a
 procedure under which material incidents  of  harassment,  bullying  and
 discrimination on school grounds or at a school function are reported to
 the department at least on an annual basis. Such procedure shall provide
 that  such reports shall, wherever possible, also delineate the specific
 nature of such incidents of  harassment,  bullying  and  discrimination,
 [provided that the] AND INDICATE, WHERE KNOWN AND APPROPRIATE, THE CATE-
 GORY  OR  CATEGORIES  OF  PROTECTED  CLASS THAT WERE THE SUBJECT OF SUCH
 CONDUCT. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ISSUE  GUIDANCE  FOR  SCHOOLS  ON  HOW  TO
 COLLECT  AND  REPORT  THIS  INFORMATION  IN A MANNER THAT IS CONSISTENT,
 FEASIBLE, AND PROTECTIVE OF STUDENT PRIVACY.  PUBLIC  SUMMARIES  OF  THE
 DATA  SHALL  PRESENT  TRENDS  DISAGGREGATED  BY PROTECTED CLASS, WITHOUT
 DISCLOSING INDIVIDUAL OR SCHOOL-LEVEL IDENTIFIERS. THE commissioner  may
 comply with the requirements of this section through use of the existing
 uniform  violent  incident  reporting system. In addition the department
 may conduct  research  or  undertake  studies  to  determine  compliance
 throughout the state with the provisions of this article.
   §  9.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
 for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S7719A

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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2025-S7719 - Details

2025-S7719 - Summary

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2025-S7719 - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Luis R. Sepúlveda

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Actions

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

Robert Jackson

2025-S7719 - Details

2025-S7719 - Summary

2025-S7719 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7719 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

Robert Jackson

2025-S7719A (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7719A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7719A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7719A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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