Directs the board of education or the board of trustees to establish policies and procedures to allow any student with a disability to participate in the graduation ceremony and all related activities.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4729--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 24, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. LARKIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to policies that allow
students with disabilities to participate in a high school graduation
ceremony
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 "Zachary's law".
3 § 2. Section 4402 of the education law is amended by adding a new
4 subdivision 9 to read as follows:
5 9. The board of education or the board of trustees of each school
6 district shall establish a policy and adopt procedures to allow any
7 student with a disability in such district to participate in the gradu-
8 ation ceremony of the student's high school graduating class and all
9 related activities if such student has been issued a skills and achieve-
10 ment commencement credential or career development and occupational
11 studies commencement credential but has not otherwise qualified for a
12 regents or local diploma. Such student shall be eligible to participate
13 if the student's individualized education program prescribes special
14 education, transition planning, transition services, or related services
15 beyond the student's four academic years after the student's entry into
16 high school. The policy and procedures shall provide annual written
17 notice to all students with disabilities and their parents or guardians
18 about the school district's policy and procedures adopted in accordance
19 with this subdivision. Nothing in this subdivision shall compel a
20 student with disabilities to participate in the high school graduation
21 ceremony and activities. The superintendent shall consider the recommen-
22 dation, if any, of the student's committee on special education as well
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04000-05-7
S. 4729--A 2
1 as the student's own expressed preference. For purposes of this subdivi-
2 sion, a student's high school graduating class shall be the twelfth
3 grade class with which such student with a disability entered into ninth
4 grade.
5 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
6 have become a law.
