NY State Senate Bill 2025-S8377A

Senate Bill S8377A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a survey of recess held in schools serving students in kindergarten through grade six

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules 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
Jun 06, 2025	print number 8377a
Jun 06, 2025	amend and recommit to rules referred to rules

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2025-S8377 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Education

2025-S8377 - Summary

Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a survey of recess held in public and charter schools serving students in kindergarten through grade six and to provide any information collected to the governor and the legislature.

2025-S8377 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8377

SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to directing the commissioner of education to conduct
a survey of recess held in schools serving students in kindergarten
through grade six

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require the State Education Department to survey public and charter
schools about their kindergarten practices for grades K-6.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 requires the commissioner of education to conduct a study of
recess held in charter and public schools serving children in kindergar-
ten through grade six. This study will include collecting data on how
many schools offer recess, its frequency and duration, and whether it
occurs indoors or outdoors, whether dedicated spaces are provided, if
recess is supervised, the challenges schools face in offering recess,

whether it includes structured or unstructured play, and how many
schools have a nurse on premises during the school day in each school
building.

Section 2 requires the Commissioner on or before March 1, 2026, or 180
days after the bill is signed into law, whichever is later, to report on
their findings to the Legislature and Governor.

Section 3 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Recess plays a vital role in the physical, emotional, and social devel-
opment of children, yet its implementation varies widely across schools.
Directing the commissioner of education to conduct a comprehensive study
of recess from kindergarten through sixth grade is essential for gather-
ing critical data on current practices.  Understanding how often recess
is offered, its duration, location, supervision, and structure will help
identify disparities and barriers that may hinder student access to this
important break in the school day. By analyzing this information, the
state can develop informed policies that promote equitable, health-fo-
cused, and developmentally appropriate recess opportunities for all
elementary students.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S8377 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8377
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT in relation to directing the commissioner of education to conduct
   a survey of recess held in schools serving  students  in  kindergarten
   through grade six

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The commissioner of education  is  directed  to  conduct  a
 survey  of  recess  held  in public and charter schools serving students
 from kindergarten through grade six, which shall  include,  but  not  be
 limited to:
   (a) information pertaining to the number of schools currently offering
 recess;
   (b) the length of such recess and how often it is provided;
   (c)  information  pertaining to the location of such recess, including
 whether such recess is held indoors or outdoors;
   (d) if districts provide a dedicated space for such recess;
   (e) if the school's recess is supervised or unsupervised;
   (f) how many schools have a nurse on premises during the school day in
 each school building;
   (g) what the barriers are to providing recess; and
   (h) if such recess is structured and if students are offered time  for
 unstructured play.
   §  2.  On or before March 1, 2026 or 180 days after this section shall
 have become a law, whichever is later,  the  commissioner  of  education
 shall  provide  the  information  from  the  survey to the governor, the
 temporary president of the senate, the  speaker  of  the  assembly,  the
 senate  minority  leader,  the  assembly minority leader, and the chair-
 persons and ranking members of the senate  and  assembly  committees  on
 education. Such information shall also be released on the public website
 of the New York state education department.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD13091-09-5

2025-S8377A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Education

2025-S8377A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8377A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8377A

SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to directing the commissioner of education to conduct
a survey of recess held in schools serving students in kindergarten
through grade six

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require the State Education Department to survey public and charter
schools about their kindergarten practices for grades R-6.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 requires the commissioner of education to conduct a study of
recess held in charter and public schools serving children in kindergar-
ten through grade six. This study will include collecting data on how
many schools offer recess, its frequency and duration, and whether it
occurs indoors or outdoors, whether dedicated spaces are provided, if
recess is supervised, the challenges schools face in offering recess,

whether it includes structured or unstructured play, and how many
schools have a nurse on premises during the school day in each school
building.

Section 2 requires the Commissioner on or before March 1, 2026, or 180
days after the bill is signed into law, whichever is later, to report on
their findings to the Legislature and Governor.

Section 3 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Recess plays a vital role in the physical, emotional, and social devel-
opment of children, yet its implementation varies widely across schools.
Directing the commissioner of education to conduct a comprehensive study
of recess from kindergarten through sixth grade is essential for gather-
ing critical data on current practices.  Understanding how often recess
is offered, its duration, location, supervision, and structure will help
identify disparities and barriers that may hinder student access to this
important break in the school day. By analyzing this information, the
state can develop informed policies that promote equitable, health-fo-
cused, and developmentally appropriate recess opportunities for all
elementary students.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S8377A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8377--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Rules  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN ACT in relation to directing the commissioner of education to conduct
   a  survey  of  recess held in schools serving students in kindergarten
   through grade six
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  commissioner  of  education is directed to conduct a
 survey of recess held in public and  charter  schools  serving  students
 from  kindergarten  through  grade  six, which shall include, but not be
 limited to:
   (a) information pertaining to the number of schools currently offering
 recess;
   (b) the length of such recess and how often it is provided;
   (c) information pertaining to the location of such  recess,  including
 whether such recess is held indoors or outdoors;
   (d) if schools provide a dedicated space for such recess;
   (e) if the school's recess is supervised or unsupervised;
   (f) how many schools have a nurse on premises during the school day in
 each school building;
   (g) what the barriers are to providing recess; and
   (h)  if such recess is structured and if students are offered time for
 unstructured play.
   § 2. On or before March 1, 2026 or 180 days after this  section  shall
 have  become  a  law,  whichever is later, the commissioner of education
 shall provide the information from  the  survey  to  the  governor,  the
 temporary  president  of  the  senate,  the speaker of the assembly, the
 senate minority leader, the assembly minority  leader,  and  the  chair-
 persons  and  ranking  members  of the senate and assembly committees on
 education. Such information shall also be released on the public website
 of the New York state education department.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13091-11-5

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