S 7018: Improves the transportation of children with special needs to and from school; provides that bussing time shall not exceed one and one-half hours; provides a special needs liaison to work with each family with a child with special needs; makes related provisions.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7018 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 28, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Educa- tion AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to improving the trans- portation of children with special needs The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 3635 of the education law is amended by adding a 2 new subdivision 9 to read as follows: 3 9. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule or regulation, 4 where a child with special needs legally attends a school district, such 5 child shall be provided free transportation between home and school. 6 b. Each school district with a child with special needs shall have a 7 children with special needs liaison who shall work with each child with 8 special needs and the child's family to ensure that the requirements of 9 this subdivision are met. 10 c. Such transportation shall not exceed one and one-half hours, 11 including flexible wait times at homes to account for such children with 12 special needs potentially requiring more time to get on and off of 13 transportation. If the transportation cannot be completed within this 14 timeframe, the school district shall either: (i) reduce the transporta- 15 tion time by adding more transportation within the district; or (ii) 16 reimburse, in full, the caretaker of the child for any and all transpor- 17 tation expenses for the safe and timely transportation of the child to 18 and from the school including, but not limited to, fuel costs, mileage, 19 tolls, and fares. 20 d. Such transportation used by the school district to transport chil- 21 dren with special needs shall include cameras and bus tracking systems 22 so the child and the child's family can know when the bus will arrive at 23 the home. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04738-01-5 
 S. 7018 2 1 e. For the purposes of this section, "children with special needs" 2 shall include, but not be limited to, minors with intellectual or devel- 3 opmental disabilities. 4 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 5 the date upon which it shall have become a law.