New York S 16: Provides for including uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces in the definition of "family member" in relation to regulations pertaining to rights of family members

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S00016 Summary:

BILL NOS00016 

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SAME ASSAME AS A00945

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SPONSORTEDISCO

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COSPNSRASHBY, BORRELLO, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, CHAN, GALLIVAN, GRIFFO, HELMING, JACKSON, LANZA, MARTINS,
 MATTERA, MURRAY, OBERACKER, O'MARA, ORTT, RHOADS, SEPULVEDA, STEC, WALCZYK, WEBER, WEIK

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §15-a, amd §16, Ed L

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Enacts Jacobe's Law requiring school administrators to contact the parents or guardians of students when bullying or harassment has occurred.

Go to top S00016 Actions:

BILL NOS00016 

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01/08/2025REFERRED TO EDUCATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO EDUCATION

03/18/2026NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED

05/05/2026REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO CODES

Go to topS00016 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS00016 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS00016 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 16

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 (Prefiled)

 January 8, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. TEDISCO, ASHBY, BORRELLO, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK,
 GALLIVAN, GRIFFO, HELMING, JACKSON, LANZA, MATTERA, MURRAY, OBERACKER,
 O'MARA, RHOADS, SEPULVEDA, WALCZYK, WEBER, WEIK -- 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 enacting "Jacobe's
 law"

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

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Jacobe's law".
 2 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 15-a to read
 3 as follows:
 4 § 15-a. Reporting by school employees. 1. School employees, as defined
 5 in subdivision four of this section, shall investigate and verify, in
 6 accordance with the provisions of this article, that a reported incident
 7 of harassment, bullying or discrimination has occurred.
 8 2. Upon a verified incident of harassment, bullying or discrimination,
 9 a licensed or certified school counselor, school social worker, school
 10 psychologist, school nurse, principal or assistant principal shall
 11 discuss with each student involved in the incident whether the student
 12 has any health, safety or privacy concerns with the school employee
 13 making a reasonable and good faith effort to contact their parent or
 14 person in parental relation. Any discussions shall be immediately docu-
 15 mented by such school counselor, school social worker, school psychol-
 16 ogist, school nurse, principal or assistant principal.
 17 3. If a student does not express a health, safety or privacy concern,
 18 the school employee shall make a reasonable and good faith effort to
 19 contact the parent or person in parental relation of the students
 20 involved in the incident by telephone, email, mail or other means to
 21 discuss the incident and ways to effectively address the situation. If a

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00115-01-5

 S. 16 2

 1 student does express a health, safety or privacy concern, such school
 2 counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, school nurse,
 3 principal or assistant principal shall determine, using their profes-
 4 sional judgement, if contacting a student's parent or person in parental
 5 relation would be in the best interest of the student.
 6 4. As used in this section "school employee" shall mean the principal,
 7 superintendent or the principal's or superintendent's designee who is
 8 charged with receiving reports of harassment, bullying and discrimi-
 9 nation in accordance with paragraph a of subdivision one of section
 10 thirteen of this article.
 11 § 3. Section 16 of the education law, as amended by chapter 102 of the
 12 laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
 13 § 16. Protection of people who report harassment, bullying or discrim-
 14 ination. Any person having reasonable cause to suspect that a student
 15 has been subjected to harassment, bullying or discrimination, by an
 16 employee or student, on school grounds or at a school function, who,
 17 acting reasonably and in good faith, reports such information to school
 18 officials, to the commissioner or to law enforcement aut