A 4854: Provides that the commissioner of education may also withhold from any district or city its share of the public money of the state for willfully disobeying any provision of law, or for such decisions, orders or regulations as aforesaid whose willful violation constitutes an immediate threat to the health, safety, education or welfare of students, employees or visitors at such common school, educational institution, school district or public school.
The bill aims to restrict the authority of educational institutions to withhold public monies from schools that have been deemed subversive by the Board of Regents or have committed acts of neglect of duty. The commissioner of education can remove a school officer from their position if they are found to be a member of a listed subversive organization or have committed a serious breach of duty. The commissioner can also withhold public funds from a school district or city if the school has disobeyed laws or regulations, or if such disobedience poses an immediate threat to the health, safety, education, or welfare of students, employees, or visitors. The bill takes effect immediately.
- What is the current status of A 4854?
- As of January 8, 2026, A 4854 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "referred to education".
- Did A 4854 pass?
- Not yet. A 4854 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote A 4854, and where is it now?
- A 4854 was authored by Asm. Michael Durso with 3 coauthors. Its committee of record is Assembly Education.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to education |
| Feb. 06, 2025 | referred to education |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4854 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DURSO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to restrictions on authority for the withholding of public monies from educational insti- tutions The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 306 of the education law, subdivision 1 as amended 2 by chapter 298 of the laws of 1957, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 306. Removal of school officers; withholding public money. 1. When- 4 ever it shall be proved to [his] the commissioner's satisfaction that 5 any trustee, member of a board of education, clerk, collector, treasur- 6 er, district superintendent, superintendent of schools or other school 7 officer is a member of an organization listed as subversive by the board 8 of regents pursuant to the provisions of section three thousand twenty- 9 two of this chapter, or has been guilty of any wilful violation or 10 neglect of duty under this chapter, or any other act pertaining to 11 common schools or other educational institution participating in state 12 funds, or wilfully disobeying any decision, order, rule or regulation of 13 the regents or of the commissioner [of education], [said] such commis- 14 sioner, after a hearing at which the school officer shall have the right 15 of representation by counsel, may, by an order under [his] their hand 16 and seal, which order shall be recorded in [his] their office, remove 17 such school officer from [his] office. 18 2. [Said] Such commissioner [of education] may also withhold from any 19 district or city its share of the public money of the state for wilfully 20 disobeying any provision of law [or any decision, order or regulation as21aforesaid], or for such decisions, orders or regulations as aforesaid 22 whose willful violation constitutes an immediate threat to the health, 23 safety, education or welfare of students, employees or visitors at such 24 common school, educational institution, school district or public 25 school. 26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01058-01-5