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Senate Bill S831

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides for the posthumous awarding of high school diplomas

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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2025-S831 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A2616
Current Committee:
Senate Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §3204, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S8104, A8438

2025-S831 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the board of education or the board of trustees of each school district shall establish a policy and adopt procedures permitting the district to confer a diploma on a student posthumously if, at the time of death, such student had completed the eleventh grade class of a public school in the district and was enrolled or expected to be enrolled in the twelfth grade class within the same public school district the following school year.

2025-S831 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S831 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    831
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. TEDISCO -- 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 posthumous awarding of
   high school diplomas

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  3204 of the education law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. POSTHUMOUS AWARDING OF DIPLOMAS. THE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  OR  THE
 BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES OF EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL ESTABLISH A POLICY AND
 ADOPT PROCEDURES PERMITTING THE  DISTRICT  TO  CONFER  A  DIPLOMA  ON  A
 STUDENT  POSTHUMOUSLY  IF,  AT  THE  TIME  OF  DEATH,  SUCH  STUDENT HAD
 COMPLETED THE ELEVENTH GRADE CLASS OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL  IN  THE  DISTRICT
 AND  WAS  ENROLLED OR EXPECTED TO BE ENROLLED IN THE TWELFTH GRADE CLASS
 WITHIN THE SAME PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT THE FOLLOWING  SCHOOL  YEAR.  THE
 POLICY AND PROCEDURES SHALL ADDRESS THE DISTRICT'S COORDINATION WITH THE
 PARENTS  OR  GUARDIANS OF THE DECEASED STUDENT CONCERNING THE METHOD FOR
 CONFERRING SUCH A DIPLOMA, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SITE OF PRESEN-
 TATION, IDENTITY OF A PROXY RECIPIENT, FAMILY  ATTENDANCE  AT  THE  HIGH
 SCHOOL  GRADUATION  CEREMONY,  AND  SCOPE  OF RECOGNITION AND/OR PARTIC-
 IPATION, IF ANY, AT THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  GRADUATION  CEREMONY,  AND  SHALL
 FURTHER  PROVIDE  FOR  ANNUAL  WRITTEN  NOTICE TO ALL STUDENTS AND THEIR
 PARENTS OR GUARDIANS ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S POLICY  AND  PROCEDURES
 ADOPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBDIVISION. NOTHING IN THIS SUBDIVISION
 SHALL REQUIRE A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ISSUE A DIPLOMA BEFORE THE GRADUATION
 DATE  OF  THE DECEASED STUDENT'S HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS OR REQUIRE
 THE FAMILY OF A DECEASED STUDENT TO ATTEND  OR  PARTICIPATE  IN  A  HIGH
 SCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONY OR RELATED ACTIVITIES.  DIPLOMAS CONFERRED IN
 ACCORDANCE  WITH  THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL NOT BE APPLIED TOWARD STUDENT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02775-01-5

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