Bill Text: NY A08264 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the school safety specialist act; establishes a certification and training program for school safety specialists; outlines the roles and duties of school safety specialists.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 9-2)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to education [A08264 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A08264-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8264

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    November 15, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. BENDETT -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Education

        AN ACT to amend the executive law and the education law, in relation  to
          establishing the school safety specialist act

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as  the  "school
     2  safety specialist act".
     3    §  2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 844 to read
     4  as follows:
     5    § 844. School safety specialist certification program. 1. The division
     6  shall establish and maintain a certification program for  school  safety
     7  specialists, including:
     8    (a) development of such program and its content and methodology;
     9    (b) creation of the application and certification process; and
    10    (c) maintenance and administration of such program.
    11    2. Topics of training for school safety specialists shall include, but
    12  not be limited to: how to prevent, prepare, and respond to school safety
    13  incidents; how to create a culture of school safety; emergency prepared-
    14  ness  planning; school threat assessment; situational awareness; strate-
    15  gic crisis leadership and risk communication; school-based mental health
    16  mediation; drug prevention and awareness; cyberbullying; predatory sexu-
    17  al behavior; substance use; violence; suicide prevention and  mediation;
    18  and gang resistance.
    19    §  3.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 2801-c to
    20  read as follows:
    21    § 2801-c. School safety specialist. 1. Any public or nonpublic  school
    22  may  employ  a  school  safety  specialist certified pursuant to section
    23  eight hundred forty-four of  the  executive  law,  for  the  purpose  of
    24  providing  improved  public  safety  and  security  on school grounds. A

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11552-01-3
        A. 8264                             2

     1  school district shall be authorized to  employ  as  many  school  safety
     2  specialists as such district deems necessary.
     3    2. School safety specialists, in executing their role, may also:
     4    a.  propose and enforce policies and administrative actions related to
     5  school safety;
     6    b. utilize any technology to implement safety;
     7    c. serve as a liaison with other school officials and community  agen-
     8  cies,  including,  but not limited to, law enforcement agencies, courts,
     9  health care entities, and mental health entities;
    10    d. develop and execute strategies for prevention, response, and recov-
    11  ery efforts for  incidents  and/or  emergency  situations  occurring  on
    12  school  grounds involving students, faculty, administration, or visitors
    13  to such school;
    14    e. assist in school emergency drills and creating  new  school  safety
    15  plans; and
    16    f. provide educational and mentoring services to students.
    17    § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    18  it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
    19  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
    20  tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
    21  completed on or before such effective date.