Bill Text: NY A01444 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An act to amend the education law, in relation to developing a schoolwide uniform policy

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - referred to education [A01444 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-A01444-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1444
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 7, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of A. WRIGHT, GALEF, HOYT, JOHN, TOWNS, ESPAILLAT --
         Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. FARRELL, SCARBOROUGH -- read  once  and
         referred to the Committee on Education
       AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to developing a school-
         wide uniform policy
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Subdivision  35  of  section 305 of the education law, as
    2  added by chapter 667 of the laws of 2006, is renumbered subdivision 35-a
    3  and a new subdivision 35-b is added to read as follows:
    4    35-B. THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO DEVELOP A SCHOOL-
    5  WIDE UNIFORM POLICY AND  SHALL  ADOPT  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  FOR  THE
    6  PURPOSE  OF IMPLEMENTATION OF A SCHOOL DRESS POLICY ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS
    7  OR AT THE OPTION OF LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SUCH RULES  AND  REGULATIONS
    8  SHALL  BE  DESIGNED  TO  PROMOTE  A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT TO FACILITATE AND
    9  MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE LEARNING AND TO PROMOTE A CLASSROOM FOCUS ON LEARNING
   10  AND SHALL AUTHORIZE THE GOVERNING BOARD OF ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO IMPLE-
   11  MENT A DRESS CODE POLICY IN ANY SCHOOL WITHIN THE DISTRICT ON SIX MONTHS
   12  NOTICE TO PARENTS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF RESOURCES  SUFFICIENT  TO  ASSIST
   13  ECONOMICALLY  DISADVANTAGED  STUDENTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT TO COMPLY WITH
   14  SUCH POLICY. NOTHING IN THE RULES AND REGULATIONS  PROMULGATED  PURSUANT
   15  TO  THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL PRECLUDE STUDENTS FROM PARTICIPATING IN ANY
   16  RECOGNIZED ACTIVITY FROM WEARING CLOTHING APPROPRIATE TO  SUCH  ACTIVITY
   17  ON SPECIFIED OCCASIONS. THE GOVERNING BOARD OF ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL
   18  PROVIDE  A  METHOD WHEREBY PARENTS MAY CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN
   19  COMPLY WITH AN ADOPTED SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY. ANY POLICY ADOPTED  PURSU-
   20  ANT  TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL INCLUDE A PROVISION THAT NO STUDENT SHALL
   21  BE PENALIZED ACADEMICALLY OR OTHERWISE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST NOR  DENIED
   22  ATTENDANCE  TO  SCHOOL  IF  THE STUDENT'S PARENTS CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE THE
   23  STUDENT COMPLY WITH THE SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY. THE  GOVERNING  BOARD  OF
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00121-01-9
       A. 1444                             2
    1  ANY  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  MAY  ADOPT  OR  RESCIND  A DRESS CODE POLICY THAT
    2  REQUIRES STUDENTS TO WEAR A SCHOOLWIDE UNIFORM.  THE GOVERNING BOARD  OF
    3  ANY  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  MAY  ADOPT  OR  RESCIND  A DRESS CODE POLICY THAT
    4  PROHIBITS  STUDENTS FROM WEARING "GANG-RELATED APPAREL" IF THE GOVERNING
    5  BOARD OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT APPROVES A PLAN THAT MAY BE INITIATED BY AN
    6  INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL'S PRINCIPAL, STAFF AND PARENTS AND DETERMINES THAT THE
    7  POLICY IS NECESSARY FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.
    8    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.