S 7703: Requires transportation after 4pm be provided for certain students by school districts in Sullivan county.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7703 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE April 30, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. OBERACKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the provision of transportation after 4pm by school districts in Sullivan county The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3627-a 2 to read as follows: 3 § 3627-a. Transportation after 4pm for Sullivan county. 1. Notwith- 4 standing any other provisions of this section to the contrary, for the 5 two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twenty-six school year and there- 6 after, every school district located in the county of Sullivan providing 7 transportation pursuant to this chapter shall be responsible for: 8 (a) (i) providing transportation for every child attending a public or 9 nonpublic school who resides in an area containing at least fifty chil- 10 dren within a five mile radius who remains at the same school for which 11 they are enrolled for regularly scheduled academic classes from half- 12 past nine o'clock in the morning or earlier until four o'clock in the 13 afternoon or later, on weekdays; 14 (ii) such transportation shall be provided to all children attending 15 grades kindergarten through eight who live more than two miles from the 16 school, which they legally attend, and for all children attending grades 17 nine through twelve who live more than three miles from the school which 18 they legally attend, and shall be provided for each such pupil up to a 19 distance of fifteen miles, the distances in each case being measured by 20 the nearest available route from such child's home to school; or 21 (b) reimbursing the cost incurred by licensed transportation carriers 22 pursuant to contracts with such school district for providing transpor- 23 tation for those children attending public and nonpublic schools attend- 24 ing grades kindergarten through eight who live more than two miles from 25 the school, which they legally attend, and for all children attending EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11361-01-5 
 S. 7703 2 1 grades nine through twelve who live more than three miles from the 2 school which they legally attend, and shall be provided for each such 3 pupil up to a distance of fifteen miles, the distances in each case 4 being measured by the nearest available route from such child's home to 5 school. 6 2. Nothing herein shall prohibit the school district from reimbursing 7 for costs incurred for contracts between the school district and any 8 entity providing or contracting for such transportation service. 9 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any 10 expenditures for transportation provided pursuant to this section in the 11 two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twenty-six school year and there- 12 after and otherwise eligible for transportation aid pursuant to subdivi- 13 sion seven of section thirty-six hundred two of this article shall be 14 considered approved transportation expenses eligible for transportation 15 aid. 16 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contra- 17 ry, in no event shall a school district, in order to comply with the 18 requirements of this section, be required to incur any costs in excess 19 of the amount eligible for transportation aid pursuant to subdivision 20 four of this section. In the event such amount is insufficient, such 21 school district shall provide transportation services within such amount 22 on an equitable basis, until such apportionment is exhausted. 23 5. Each board of education, in consultation with the commissioner, 24 shall prescribe the most cost-effective system for implementing the 25 requirements of this section, taking into consideration policies that 26 maximize student safety for the student to be transported. 27 6. The parent or guardian, or any representative authorized by such 28 parent or guardian, may submit a written request for transportation 29 under this section, in the same manner and upon the same dates as are 30 required for a request for transportation pursuant to subdivision two of 31 section thirty-six hundred thirty-five of this article. 32 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 33 the date on which it shall have become a law.