NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7929

Senate Bill S7929

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Directs the commissioner of education to establish standards for the security and safety of school grounds

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

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 14, 2025	referred to education

2025-S7929 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2618
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§305 & 3602, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: A5671
2015-2016: A3225
2017-2018: A5584
2019-2020: A4689
2021-2022: A7293
2023-2024: S6291, A3728

2025-S7929 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of education, in conjunction with the superintendent of state police and the commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency services, to establish standards for the security and safety of school grounds.

2025-S7929 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7929

SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to minimum standards for
the security and safety of school grounds

 
PURPOSE:

Directs the commissioner of education to establish minimum standards for
the security and safety of school grounds

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 305 of the education law, by adding a new
Subdivision 57, directing the Commissioner of Education in consultation
with the Superintendent of State Police and the-Commissioner of the
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to establish mini-
mum standards for the security of school buildings and grounds.

Section 2 amends the opening paragraph of subdivision 6 of section 3602

of the education law, as amended by chapter 355 of the laws of 2016, to
require districts to include projects needed to come into compliance
with the minimum standards in their building conditions survey.

Section 3 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Recent tragedies have forced many to question the safety of the schools
our children attend. New York has taken steps to enhance school safety
through community outreach programs, social workers and school resource
officers, requiring district and building level emergency response plan-
ning, and by passing common sense gun legislation to protect all of our
communities from the tragic violence we've seen across the country. But
we can always do more to enhance the safety of our schools and provide
peace of mind to students, parents, teachers, and our school communi-
ties.

This legislation would require the State Education Department, in
consultation with the State Police and Division of Homeland Security and
Emergency Services, to develop minimum standards for the safety and
security of school buildings, grounds, and other school property.  These
standards will address the physical infrastructure of school buildings,
including the security of building doors, windows, and other points of
entry, access to school grounds, and fences and security gates, ensuring
all school buildings in the state meet basic safety and security stand-
ards.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2013-14: A5671 (Englebright) referred to education

2015-16: A3225 (Englebright) referred to education

2017-18: A5584 (Englebright) referred to governmental operations

2019-20: A4689 (Englebright) referred to education
2021-22: A7293 (Englebright) referred to education

2023-24: A3728 referred to education

2025-26: A37287 referred to education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

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

2025-S7929 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7929
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- 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 minimum standards  for
   the security and safety of school grounds
 
   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 57 to read as follows:
   57. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT OF  STATE
 POLICE  AND  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND
 EMERGENCY SERVICES, SHALL ESTABLISH, BY RULE, MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR  THE
 SECURITY  AND  SAFETY OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS, GROUNDS AND PROPERTY SO AS TO
 PROVIDE AN APPROPRIATELY SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. SUCH STANDARDS SHALL
 INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE SECURITY OF BUILDING DOORS,  WINDOWS
 AND  OTHER  POINTS  OF ENTRY, AND ACCESS TO SCHOOL GROUNDS AND PROPERTY,
 INCLUDING GUIDELINES FOR FENCES AND SECURITY GATES.
   § 2. The opening paragraph of subdivision 6 of  section  3602  of  the
 education law, as amended by chapter 529 of the laws of 2023, is amended
 to read as follows:
   Any  apportionment  to  a school district pursuant to this subdivision
 shall be based upon base year approved expenditures for capital  outlays
 incurred  prior  to  July first, two thousand one from its general fund,
 capital fund or reserved funds and current  year  approved  expenditures
 for  debt  service,  including  debt  service  for refunding bond issues
 eligible for an apportionment pursuant to paragraph g of  this  subdivi-
 sion and lease or other annual payments to the New York city educational
 construction  fund created by article ten of this chapter or the city of
 Yonkers educational construction fund created by article ten-B  of  this
 chapter which have been pledged to secure the payment of bonds, notes or
 other obligations issued by the fund to finance the construction, acqui-
 sition,  reconstruction,  rehabilitation  or  improvement  of the school
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05459-03-5

 S. 7929                             2
 
 portion of combined occupancy structures, or for lease or  other  annual
 payments  to the New York state urban development corporation created by
 chapter one hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred  sixty-
 eight,  pursuant  to  agreement  between  such  school district and such
 corporation relating to the construction,  acquisition,  reconstruction,
 rehabilitation  or  improvement  of  any  school building, or for annual
 payments to the dormitory authority pursuant to any lease,  sublease  or
 other  agreement  relating  to  the financing, refinancing, acquisition,
 design,  construction,  reconstruction,   rehabilitation,   improvement,
 furnishing  and  equipping  of, or otherwise provide for school district
 capital facilities or school district capital equipment made  under  the
 provisions  of  section sixteen hundred eighty of the public authorities
 law, or for annual payments pursuant to any  lease,  sublease  or  other
 agreement  relating  to the financing, refinancing, acquisition, design,
 construction, reconstruction,  rehabilitation,  improvement,  furnishing
 and equipping of, or otherwise providing for educational facilities of a
 city  school district under the provisions of section sixteen of chapter
 six hundred five of the laws of two thousand, or for payments,  pursuant
 to  any  assignment  authorized  by section twenty-seven hundred ninety-
 nine-tt of the public authorities law, of debt service in furtherance of
 funding the five-year educational facilities capital plan of the city of
 New York school district or related debt service costs and  expenses  as
 set  forth  in  such section, for annual payments pursuant to any lease,
 sublease or other agreement  relating  to  the  financing,  refinancing,
 design,  reconstruction,  rehabilitation,  improvement,  furnishing  and
 equipping of, or otherwise providing for projects authorized pursuant to
 the city of Syracuse and the board  of  education  of  the  city  school
 district  of the city of Syracuse cooperative school reconstruction act,
 for annual payments pursuant to any lease, sublease or  other  agreement
 relating to the financing, refinancing, design, reconstruction, rehabil-
 itation,  improvement, furnishing and equipping of, or otherwise provid-
 ing for projects authorized pursuant to the city of  Rochester  and  the
 board  of education of the city school district of the city of Rochester
 school facilities modernization program act, for annual payments  pursu-
 ant to any lease, sublease or other agreement relating to the financing,
 refinancing,   design,   construction,  reconstruction,  rehabilitation,
 improvement, furnishing and equipping of,  or  otherwise  providing  for
 projects authorized pursuant to the Yonkers city school district facili-
 ties  modernization  program  act, or for lease, lease-purchase or other
 annual payments to another school district  or  person,  partnership  or
 corporation  pursuant  to  an  agreement  made  under  the provisions of
 section four hundred three-b, subdivision eight of  section  twenty-five
 hundred  three, or subdivision six of section twenty-five hundred fifty-
 four of this chapter, provided that the apportionment for such lease  or
 other  annual  payments  under  the  provisions  of section four hundred
 three-b, subdivision eight of  section  twenty-five  hundred  three,  or
 subdivision  six of section twenty-five hundred fifty-four of this chap-
 ter, other than payments under a lease-purchase agreement or  an  equiv-
 alent  agreement,  shall  be  based  upon  approved  expenditures in the
 current year. Approved expenditures for capital outlays  from  a  school
 district's  general  fund,  capital  fund  or  reserved  funds  that are
 incurred on or after July first, two thousand two, and are  not  aidable
 pursuant  to subdivision six-f of this section, shall be aidable as debt
 service under an assumed amortization established pursuant to paragraphs
 e and j of this subdivision. In  any  such  case  approved  expenditures
 shall be only for new construction, reconstruction, purchase of existing
 S. 7929                             3
 
 structures,  for  site  purchase  and  improvement, for new garages, for
 original  equipment,  furnishings,  machinery,  or  apparatus,  and  for
 professional  fees  and  other  costs incidental to such construction or
 reconstruction,  or  purchase  of  existing structures. In the case of a
 lease or lease-purchase  agreement  entered  pursuant  to  section  four
 hundred  three-b, subdivision eight of section twenty-five hundred three
 or subdivision six of section twenty-five  hundred  fifty-four  of  this
 chapter,  approved  expenditures  for the lease or other annual payments
 shall not include the costs of heat, electricity, water or other  utili-
 ties or the costs of operation or maintenance of the leased facility. An
 apportionment  shall  be  available  pursuant  to  this  subdivision for
 construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement in a  build-
 ing,  or  portion thereof, being leased by a school district only if the
 lease is for a term of at least ten years subsequent to the date of  the
 general  construction  contract  for  such construction, reconstruction,
 rehabilitation or improvement. Each school district shall prepare a five
 year capital facilities plan, pursuant to regulations developed  by  the
 commissioner  for  such  purpose,  provided  that  in the case of a city
 school district in a city having a population of one million inhabitants
 or more, such facilities  plan  shall  comply  with  the  provisions  of
 section  twenty-five  hundred ninety-p of this chapter and this subdivi-
 sion. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, a building  inven-
 tory,  and  estimated  expense  of facility needs, for new construction,
 additions, alterations, reconstruction, major repairs,  energy  consump-
 tion and maintenance by school building, as appropriate. Such plan shall
 consider the incorporation of design principles and strategies, pursuant
 to  guidance  issued  by  the  commissioner,  as part of a comprehensive
 approach to provide a safe, secure and healthy school environment.  Such
 five  year  plan shall include a priority ranking of projects, INCLUDING
 THOSE NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH SUCH SAFETY STANDARDS AS ARE  ESTABLISHED
 PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  FIFTY-SEVEN  OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIVE OF
 THIS CHAPTER, and shall be amended if necessary  to  reflect  subsequent
 on-site  evaluations of facilities conducted by state supported contrac-
 tors.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.