Relates to policies regarding maximum temperatures in school buildings and facilities, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    752
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the education law, in relation to policies regarding
   maximum temperatures in school buildings and facilities

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section 409-n of the education law, as added by a chapter
 of the laws of 2024 amending the education law relating to  establishing
 a  maximum  temperature  in  school  buildings and indoor facilities, as
 proposed in legislative bills  numbers  S.  3397-A  and  A.  9011-A,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   §  409-n. Maximum temperatures in school buildings and facilities. All
 common, union free, central, central high schools, city school districts
 and boards of cooperative educational services shall  develop  a  policy
 for  ensuring  the  health  and  safety  of students, faculty, and other
 employees, on extreme heat condition  days.  For  the  purpose  of  this
 section,  extreme  heat condition days shall be defined as days when the
 occupiable educational and support  services  spaces  are  found  to  be
 eighty-two  degrees  or  greater  Fahrenheit.  For  the  purpose of this
 section, support services spaces shall not include kitchen areas used in
 the preparation of food for consumption by students.  For the purpose of
 this section, room temperature shall be measured at a  shaded  location,
 three feet above the floor near the center of the room. Schools shall be
 required  to  take  action  to  relieve heat-related discomfort when the
 occupied space temperature reaches eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit.  These
 actions may include, but are not limited to, turning  off  the  overhead
 lights,  pulling  down shades or blinds, turning on fans, opening class-
 room doors and windows to increase circulation, turning off unused elec-
 tronics that produce heat, and providing water  breaks.    [Educational]
 SUCH POLICY SHALL INCLUDE A PLAN TO REMOVE STUDENTS AND STAFF FROM OCCU-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02930-01-5
 A. 752                              2
 
 PIED  SPACES  WHERE  PRACTICABLE  WHEN  EDUCATIONAL and support services
 spaces [cannot be occupied if room temperature  reaches]  REACH  eighty-
 eight degrees Fahrenheit.
   §  2.  Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 2801-a of the education
 law, as amended by a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the  education
 law  relating  to establishing a maximum temperature in school buildings
 and indoor facilities, as  proposed  in  legislative  bills  numbers  S.
 3397-A and A. 9011-A, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  policies  and  procedures  for  response  to  emergency situations
 [including extreme heat conditions], such as those requiring evacuation,
 sheltering, and lock-down. These policies shall include, at  a  minimum,
 evacuation  routes, shelter sites, and procedures for addressing medical
 needs, transportation and emergency notification of parents and  guardi-
 ans;
   §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws  of  2024  amending  the  education  law
 relating  to  establishing a maximum temperature in school buildings and
 indoor facilities, as proposed in legislative bills  numbers  S.  3397-A
 and A. 9011-A, takes effect.