Carroll, Taylor, Gonzalez-Rojas, Eachus, Williams, Sayegh, Bendett, Zinerman, Jean-Pierre, Forrest,
De Los Santos, Reyes, Simon
MLTSPNSR
Amd §§305 & 3602, Ed L
Requires the department of education to report information regarding counselors, social workers and psychologists in schools and to implement a plan to increase the school counselor, school social worker and school psychologist to student ratio to nationally accepted standards and provide funding for such.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
902
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 11, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, CARROLL, TAYLOR, GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the depart-
ment of education to report information regarding counselors, social
workers and psychologists in schools
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 60 to read as follows:
3 60. a. The commissioner shall submit to the governor, the temporary
4 president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly, a report
5 regarding school counselors, school social workers and school psychol-
6 ogists for the current school year. Such report shall include, but not
7 be limited to: (i) the number of full and part-time school counselors,
8 school social workers and school psychologists in each school, (ii) the
9 ratio of students to the number of school counselors, the ratio of
10 students to the number of school social workers, and the ratio of
11 students to the number of school psychologists in each school, and (iii)
12 whether the school counselor, school social worker or school psychol-
13 ogist is providing counseling assistance to more than one school.
14 b. After such report is issued, the commissioner shall prepare a
15 proposal on how to increase the number of school counselors, school
16 social workers and school psychologists to meet the nationally accepted
17 ratio of students to the number of school counselors, ratio of students
18 to the number of school social workers, and ratio of students to the
19 number of school psychologists within New York state such as those
20 recommended by the school social work association of America, the Ameri-
21 can school counselors association and the national association of school
22 psychologists. When preparing such proposal, the commissioner shall take
23 into consideration the specific needs of individual school districts and
24 the region in which such school district is located.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03011-01-3
A. 902 2
1 c. For purposes of this subdivision, the following terms shall have
2 the following meanings:
3 (i) "school counselor" shall mean any personnel, licensed and certi-
4 fied by New York state as school counselor, hired to provide individual
5 or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary, middle, or
6 high school grades;
7 (ii) "school social worker" shall mean any personnel, licensed and
8 certified by New York state as a school social worker, hired to provide
9 individual or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary,
10 middle, or high school grades; and
11 (iii) "school psychologist" shall mean any personnel, licensed and
12 certified by New York state as a school psychologist, hired to provide
13 individual or group counseling assistance to students in the elementary,
14 middle, or high school grades.
15 § 2. Section 3602 of the education law is amended by adding a new
16 subdivision 21 to read as follows:
17 21. In addition to the apportionments payable to a school district
18 pursuant to this section, the commissioner is hereby authorized to
19 apportion to any school district additional aid pursuant to this subdi-
20 vision for its approved expenditures in the base year for the employment
21 of school counselors, school social workers and/or school psychologists.
22 The commissioner shall annually prescribe a cost allowance for such
23 school counselors, school social workers and/or school psychologists and
24 the approved expenditures shall not exceed such cost allowance.
25 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
