NY State Senate Bill 2025-S8008

Senate Bill S8008

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Encourages school districts to prioritize civic organizations which encourage community for students in allowing outside groups to use school facilities

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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 15, 2025	referred to education

2025-S8008 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§414, 2503, 2554 & 2853, Ed L

2025-S8008 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Encourages school districts to give opportunities to students by giving priority to outside groups which encourage community for students to use school facilities.

2025-S8008 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8008

SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to encouraging school
districts to prioritize civic organizations which encourage community
for students in allowing outside groups to use school facilities

 
PURPOSE:

To encourage school districts to prioritize civic organizations which
encourage community for students in allowing outside groups to use
school facilities.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: amends Section 414 of the Education Law to direct local
school boards that allow external organizations to use school facilities
to prioritize access for youth groups designated as patriotic societies
under Title 36 of the United States Code.

Section 2: amends Section 2503 of the Education Law to direct local
school boards that permit external organizations to use'school facili-
ties to prioritize access for youth groups recognized as patriotic soci-
eties under Title 36 of the United States Code.

Section 3: amends Section 2554 of the Education Law to direct local
school boards allowing external organizations to use school facilities
to prioritize access for youth groups classified as patriotic societies
under Title 36 of the United States Code.

Section 4: amends paragraph (a-1) of subdivision 3 of Section 2853 of
the Education Law to direct charter schools which permit external organ-
izations to use their facilities to prioritize access for youth groups
listed as patriotic societies under Title 36 of the United States Code.

Section 5: establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation seeks to foster civic engagement and responsibility
among New York's students by lowering barriers to student participation
in youth civic organizations by prioritizing access to school facilities
for established youth civic organizations.

Groups like Scouting America and the Girl Scouts of the USA, recognized
under Title 36 of the United States Code as patriotic societies, offer
valuable programs that instill leadership skills, community involvement,
and a sense of civic duty. By diminishing some of the logistical barri-
ers to participation, more students will have access to the benefits
these groups have on character development and civic understanding.
This, .in turn, strengthens our communities by nurturing informed and
engalecUtUture citizens.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S8008 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8008
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- 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  encouraging  school
   districts  to prioritize civic organizations which encourage community
   for students in allowing outside groups to use school facilities

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 414 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 3 to read as follows:
   3.  LOCAL  BOARDS  WHICH GRANT ACCESS TO SCHOOL FACILITIES BY EXTERNAL
 ORGANIZATIONS SHALL GIVE PRIORITY IN THE USE OF SUCH FACILITIES  TO  ANY
 YOUTH  GROUP LISTED IN TITLE 36 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE AS A PATRIOTIC
 SOCIETY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SCOUTING AMERICA,  FORMERLY  KNOWN
 AS  BOY  SCOUTS OF AMERICA, AND ITS AFFILIATED NEW YORK GROUPS AND COUN-
 CILS, AND THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ITS AFFIL-
 IATED NEW YORK GROUPS AND COUNCILS, IN ORDER TO  FACILITATE  ACCESS  FOR
 STUDENTS  TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY THESE GROUPS AT TIMES
 OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF  ENCOURAGING  CIVIC  EDUCA-
 TION.
   §  2.  Section  2503  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 8-a to read as follows:
   8-A. LOCAL BOARDS WHICH GRANT ACCESS TO SCHOOL FACILITIES BY  EXTERNAL
 ORGANIZATIONS  SHALL  GIVE PRIORITY IN THE USE OF SUCH FACILITIES TO ANY
 YOUTH GROUP LISTED IN TITLE 36 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE AS A  PATRIOTIC
 SOCIETY,  INCLUDING  BUT NOT LIMITED TO SCOUTING AMERICA, FORMERLY KNOWN
 AS BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, AND ITS AFFILIATED NEW YORK GROUPS  AND  COUN-
 CILS, AND THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ITS AFFIL-
 IATED  NEW  YORK  GROUPS AND COUNCILS, IN ORDER TO FACILITATE ACCESS FOR
 STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY THESE GROUPS AT  TIMES
 OUTSIDE  OF  THE  SCHOOL DAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENCOURAGING CIVIC EDUCA-
 TION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11878-01-5

 S. 8008                             2
 
   § 3. Section 2554 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 6-a to read as follows:
   6-A.  LOCAL BOARDS WHICH GRANT ACCESS TO SCHOOL FACILITIES BY EXTERNAL
 ORGANIZATIONS SHALL GIVE PRIORITY IN THE USE OF SUCH FACILITIES  TO  ANY
 YOUTH  GROUP LISTED IN TITLE 36 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE AS A PATRIOTIC
 SOCIETY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SCOUTING AMERICA,  FORMERLY  KNOWN
 AS  BOY  SCOUTS OF AMERICA, AND ITS AFFILIATED NEW YORK GROUPS AND COUN-
 CILS, AND THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ITS AFFIL-
 IATED NEW YORK GROUPS AND COUNCILS, IN ORDER TO  FACILITATE  ACCESS  FOR
 STUDENTS  TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY THESE GROUPS AT TIMES
 OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF  ENCOURAGING  CIVIC  EDUCA-
 TION.
   § 4. Paragraph (a-1) of subdivision 3 of section 2853 of the education
 law is amended by adding a new subparagraph (iii) to read as follows:
   (III)  CHARTER  SCHOOLS  WHICH  GRANT  ACCESS  TO SCHOOL FACILITIES BY
 EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS SHALL GIVE PRIORITY IN THE USE OF SUCH FACILITIES
 TO ANY YOUTH GROUP LISTED IN TITLE 36 OF THE UNITED  STATES  CODE  AS  A
 PATRIOTIC  SOCIETY,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  SCOUTING AMERICA,
 FORMERLY KNOWN AS BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, AND  ITS  AFFILIATED  NEW  YORK
 GROUPS AND COUNCILS, AND THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 AND  ITS AFFILIATED NEW YORK GROUPS AND COUNCILS, IN ORDER TO FACILITATE
 ACCESS FOR STUDENTS TO  PARTICIPATE  IN  ACTIVITIES  PROVIDED  BY  THESE
 GROUPS AT TIMES OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENCOURAGING
 CIVIC EDUCATION.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

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