New York S 9418: Exempts school district providers of special services or programs for preschool students with disabilities from having to obtain program approval from the commissioner of education

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S09418 Summary:

BILL NOS09418 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A10908

&nbsp

SPONSORMAYER

&nbsp

COSPNSRHINCHEY

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §4410, Ed L

&nbsp

Exempts school district providers of special services or programs for preschool students with disabilities from having to obtain program approval from the commissioner of education.

Go to top S09418 Actions:

BILL NOS09418 

&nbsp

03/10/2026REFERRED TO EDUCATION

04/21/20261ST REPORT CAL.745

04/22/20262ND REPORT CAL.

04/27/2026ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 

05/13/2026PASSED SENATE

05/13/2026DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

05/13/2026referred to education

Go to topS09418 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS09418 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS09418 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9418

 IN SENATE

 March 10, 2026
 ___________

 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 exempting school
 district providers of special services or programs for preschool
 students with disabilities from having to obtain program approval from
 the commissioner of education

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

 1 Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 9 of section 4410 of the educa-
 2 tion law, as amended by chapter 82 of the laws of 1995, the opening
 3 paragraph as amended by section 19 of part A of chapter 56 of the laws
 4 of 2012, and subparagraph (iii) as amended by section 57-a of part H of
 5 chapter 83 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
 6 a. (i) Providers of special services or programs, except where such
 7 provider is a school district, shall apply to the commissioner for
 8 program approval on a form prescribed by the commissioner; such applica-
 9 tion shall include, but not be limited to, a listing of the services to
 10 be provided, the population to be served, a plan for providing services
 11 in the least restrictive environment and a description of its evaluation
 12 component, if any. The commissioner shall approve programs in accordance
 13 with regulations adopted for such purpose and shall periodically review
 14 such programs at which time the commissioner shall provide the munici-
 15 pality in which the program is located or for which the municipality
 16 bears fiscal responsibility an opportunity for comment within thirty
 17 days of the review. In collaboration with municipalities and represen-
 18 tatives of approved programs, the commissioner shall develop procedures
 19 for conducting such reviews. Municipalities shall be allowed to partic-
 20 ipate in such departmental review process. Such review shall be
 21 conducted by individuals with appropriate experience as determined by
 22 the commissioner and shall be conducted not more than once every three
 23 years.
 24 [(iii) Commencing July first, nineteen hundred ninety-six and continu-
 25 ing through June thirtieth, two thousand three, a moratorium on the
 26 approval of any new or expanded programs in settings which include only
 27 preschool children with disabilities is established. Exceptions shall be
 28 made for cases in which school districts document a critical need for a
 29 new or expanded program in a setting which includes only preschool chil-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD15199-01-6

 S. 9418 2

 1 dren with disabilities, to meet the projected demand for services for
 2 preschool children in the least restrictive environment. Applications
 3 for new or expanded programs may be made directly to the state education
 4 department. Nothing herein shall prohibit the commissioner from approv-
 5 ing the modification of a full-day program into half-day sessions.]
 6 (ii) School district providers of special services or programs shall
 7 be exempt from the requirement to apply for program approval pursuant to
 8 this subdivision and shall be deemed approved by the commissioner to
 9 provide preschool special education programs and services. Additionally,
 10 school district providers shall be exempt from the program reapproval
 11 proc