S 7929: Directs the commissioner of education, in conjunction with the superintendent of state police and the commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency services, to establish standards for the security and safety of school grounds.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7929 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE May 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MAYER -- 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 minimum standards for the security and safety of school grounds The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 57 to read as follows: 3 57. The commissioner, in conjunction with the superintendent of state 4 police and the commissioner of the division of homeland security and 5 emergency services, shall establish, by rule, minimum standards for the 6 security and safety of school buildings, grounds and property so as to 7 provide an appropriately safe learning environment. Such standards shall 8 include, but not be limited to, the security of building doors, windows 9 and other points of entry, and access to school grounds and property, 10 including guidelines for fences and security gates. 11 § 2. The opening paragraph of subdivision 6 of section 3602 of the 12 education law, as amended by chapter 529 of the laws of 2023, is amended 13 to read as follows: 14 Any apportionment to a school district pursuant to this subdivision 15 shall be based upon base year approved expenditures for capital outlays 16 incurred prior to July first, two thousand one from its general fund, 17 capital fund or reserved funds and current year approved expenditures 18 for debt service, including debt service for refunding bond issues 19 eligible for an apportionment pursuant to paragraph g of this subdivi- 20 sion and lease or other annual payments to the New York city educational 21 construction fund created by article ten of this chapter or the city of 22 Yonkers educational construction fund created by article ten-B of this 23 chapter which have been pledged to secure the payment of bonds, notes or 24 other obligations issued by the fund to finance the construction, acqui- 25 sition, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of the school EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05459-03-5 
 S. 7929 2 1 portion of combined occupancy structures, or for lease or other annual 2 payments to the New York state urban development corporation created by 3 chapter one hundred seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty- 4 eight, pursuant to agreement between such school district and such 5 corporation relating to the construction, acquisition, reconstruction, 6 rehabilitation or improvement of any school building, or for annual 7 payments to the dormitory authority pursuant to any lease, sublease or 8 other agreement relating to the financing, refinancing, acquisition, 9 design, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, 10 furnishing and equipping of, or otherwise provide for school district 11 capital facilities or school district capital equipment made under the 12 provisions of section sixteen hundred eighty of the public authorities 13 law, or for annual payments pursuant to any lease, sublease or other 14 agreement relating to the financing, refinancing, acquisition, design, 15 construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, furnishing 16 and equipping of, or otherwise providing for educational facilities of a 17 city school district under the provisions of section sixteen of chapter 18 six hundred five of the laws of two thousand, or for payments, pursuant 19 to any assignment authorized by section twenty-seven hundred ninety- 20 nine-tt of the public authorities law, of debt service in furtherance of 21 funding the five-year educational facilities capital plan of the city of 22 New York school district or related debt service costs and expenses as 23 set forth in such section, for annual payments pursuant to any lease, 24 sublease or other agreement relating to the financing, refinancing, 25 design, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, furnishing and 26 equipping of, or otherwise providing for projects authorized pursuant to 27 the city of Syracuse and the board of education of the city school 28 district of the city of Syracuse cooperative school reconstruction act, 29 for annual payments pursuant to any lease, sublease or other agreement 30 relating to the financing, refinancing, design, reconstruction, rehabil- 31 itation, improvement, furnishing and equipping of, or otherwise provid- 32 ing for projects authorized pursuant to the city of Rochester and the 33 board of education of the city school district of the city of Rochester 34 school facilities modernization program act, for annual payments pursu- 35 ant to any lease, sublease or other agreement relating to the financing, 36 refinancing, design, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, 37 improvement, furnishing and equipping of, or otherwise providing for 38 projects authorized pursuant to the Yonkers city school district facili- 39 ties modernization program act, or for lease, lease-purchase or other 40 annual payments to another school district or person, partnership or 41 corporation pursuant to an agreement made under the provisions of 42 section four hundred three-b, subdivision eight of section twenty-five 43 hundred three, or subdivision six of section twenty-five hundred fifty- 44 four of this chapter, provided that the apportionment for such lease or 45 other annual payments under the provisions of section four hundred 46 three-b, subdivision eight of section twenty-five hundred three, or 47 subdivision six of section twenty-five hundred fifty-four of this chap- 48 ter, other than payments under a lease-purchase agreement or an equiv- 49 alent agreement, shall be based upon approved expenditures in the 50 current year. Approved expenditures for capital outlays from a school 51 district's general fund, capital fund or reserved funds that are 52 incurred on or after July first, two thousand two, and are not aidable 53 pursuant to subdivision six-f of this section, shall be aidable as debt 54 service under an assumed amortization established pursuant to paragraphs 55 e and j of this subdivision. In any such case approved expenditures 56 shall be only for new construction, reconstruction, purchase of existing 
 S. 7929 3 1 structures, for site purchase and improvement, for new garages, for 2 original equipment, furnishings, machinery, or apparatus, and for 3 professional fees and other costs incidental to such construction or 4 reconstruction, or purchase of existing structures. In the case of a 5 lease or lease-purchase agreement entered pursuant to section four 6 hundred three-b, subdivision eight of section twenty-five hundred three 7 or subdivision six of section twenty-five hundred fifty-four of this 8 chapter, approved expenditures for the lease or other annual payments 9 shall not include the costs of heat, electricity, water or other utili- 10 ties or the costs of operation or maintenance of the leased facility. An 11 apportionment shall be available pursuant to this subdivision for 12 construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement in a build- 13 ing, or portion thereof, being leased by a school district only if the 14 lease is for a term of at least ten years subsequent to the date of the 15 general construction contract for such construction, reconstruction, 16 rehabilitation or improvement. Each school district shall prepare a five 17 year capital facilities plan, pursuant to regulations developed by the 18 commissioner for such purpose, provided that in the case of a city 19 school district in a city having a population of one million inhabitants 20 or more, such facilities plan shall comply with the provisions of 21 section twenty-five hundred ninety-p of this chapter and this subdivi- 22 sion. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, a building inven- 23 tory, and estimated expense of facility needs, for new construction, 24 additions, alterations, reconstruction, major repairs, energy consump- 25 tion and maintenance by school building, as appropriate. Such plan shall 26 consider the incorporation of design principles and strategies, pursuant 27 to guidance issued by the commissioner, as part of a comprehensive 28 approach to provide a safe, secure and healthy school environment. Such 29 five year plan shall include a priority ranking of projects, including 30 those necessary to comply with such safety standards as are established 31 pursuant to subdivision fifty-seven of section three hundred five of 32 this chapter, and shall be amended if necessary to reflect subsequent 33 on-site evaluations of facilities conducted by state supported contrac- 34 tors. 35 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 36 the date on which it shall have become a law.